Mind Lessons
by Kokoro Kumo
Summary: Lark Mayumi, a Leaf shinobi, went missing when 16, but was found 8 yrs later. Though she isn't the same little girl everyone remembers and not many like this new Lark. OC Warning. Pairings later on. Hints of pairings. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

**This is just some background on the story. Mind Lessons was just a idea I came up with when I was bored and I really liked it. I hope you guys like it too :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I only own the Mayumi clan, Mika, Jiro and Aki.**

* * *

><p>The Mayumi clan was a very hated clan many years ago. They were hunted because everyone was scared of them. The clan was described as inhuman since their looks and Kekkei Genkai didn't seem right to people. Though, even if someone were scared of them, they had to emit that they had interesting looks. Mayumis had pale white skin, two-tone coloured hair and bright blue eyes.<p>

'Witch!' 'Monster!' 'Demon!' this and more is what people would call the members of this clan, no matter if it were a child or an elderly woman. Though, as said before, not all of this hate was just because of their looks, oh no. Their bloodline jutsu, scared everyone, not only villagers, but also ninja from all over. No one wanted to come in ten feet of one of the clan's members, fearing that their mind would be corrupted. Though little was actually know about this clan's special trait, but no one would let them explain.

When only a handful of the Mayumi clan was left, the clan decided to take refuge in Kohonagakura. The clan believed that if they could prove that their bloodline jutsu was good, then no one would hate them.

They proved it quite well, as members of the clan became excellent shinobi. Being in the Leaf Village seemed to be a good thing… Until the entire clan was killed.

Well, the _entire_ clan didn't die. There was still one member left, but he only survived because he was found and healed before death took over.

No one knew why the clan was killed. There were many rumors and each of them was wrong. People believe that the soul survivor, Aoi Mayumi, killed the clan out of rage of some sort. Though, only Aoi knew the truth and he wasn't even too sure himself. All that he could remember from the attack was a single man.

Years passed and Aoi lived through the tough times with the help of his good friend, and teammate, Sakumo Hatake. Aoi also found love with a beautiful kunoichi, named Aki.

After Aoi and Sakumo married their wives, the two friends made an agreement to carry on their clans together. They would have the first-born son and daughter of the two clans marry when the younger of the two turned 16. The arrangement was ran by the Hokage, who also agreed to the idea.

The reason these two clans would be put together because of special traits both clans had. The Hatake families always seemed to produce strong shinobi and the Mayumi clan had their Kekkei Genkai. If put together, very powerful shinobi will come out of it.

Not long after the agreement, Sakumo and his wife had a son. Though, Sakumo's wife didn't get to live to see her son grow up. Their son, Kakashi, doesn't remember his mother as she died very young and when Kakashi was barely able to walk.

Four years after Kakashi's birth, Aoi and Aki were blessed with the birth of a girl, who was named Mayumi Lark. Aki also didn't get to see her child grow, as she died not long after giving birth. Lark, having no mother, grew with only the thought of Aoi being her only parent. Though, Aoi wasn't a very good parent according to his daughter.

Both children didn't really get along. Mostly it was Kakashi that didn't like the young girl who always tried to make the Hatake smile. Though, Kakashi had to give Lark some credit as others often teased her, but she never let it get to her.

When Lark graduated the Academy at age 8, Aoi and Sakumo told their children about the arranged marriage. Kakashi, having being 12 at the time, understood the arrangement and agreed to it. Lark on the other hand, was harder to convince. She didn't like the idea of marrying someone her father chose for her and refused to do it, but her father didn't take her very seriously.

Years passed and both Kakashi and Lark became great shinobi. Lark had activated her Kekkei Genkei not long after her father's death and since then has become a great shinobi in genjutsu. Kakashi and Lark barely talk now and had only talked to each other when the Hokage wanted to discuss the two young ninjas' marriage arrangement. It was decided that a week after Lark's 16th birthday, the two would wed.

Before Lark's birthday, she was sent on an A-ranked mission wither teammates, Mika and Jiro. No one knows what happened, but both Mika and Lark never returned from that mission. Mika was said to be K.I.A. Even though her body wasn't found, it was because most, if not all, of the blood at the ambush scene belonged to Mika. Lark on the other hand was never to be found and declared M.I.A. Jiro came back, but became rouge a year later.

Kakashi was crushed that the only person close to him was gone. Little did he know was that he would see Lark again.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! Please tell me what you think :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello! Here's the first chapter of Mind Lessons. I hope it's enjoyable! I would like to thank Pein's Kid for reviewing the prologue, I was really happy to see that someone finds my story interesting **

**To let you guys know, my one OC, Jiro, is gay and it's said he like Deidara. It's not focused on really at all in this fic; it's just there for fun. Though if you don't like it, you could always leave. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Sadly Though I do own Lark, Mika and Jiro.**

* * *

><p><em>8 Years Later<em>

My bright ice blue eyes scanned the room. The left eye could be seen, but the right eye was covered by my thick blonde, teal streaked bangs. Very few shinobi were still in the music filled room. It was late and everyone had left to go home.

When the clock struck midnight, everyone except for three people, had left. The three still in the room was my two friends, Mika and Jiro, and I. We had just finished closing up and were sitting at the bar.

"Find anything out tonight?" asked Jiro. He looked over to Mika as she pouted as she sat down.

"Nothing. It seems people know about some things, but they don't know any details." Sighed Mika. They both looked at me, silently asking me the same question.

"Same. No one knows anything," I said as I shook my head.

"Have you ever noticed that there aren't many Leaf ninja that come in here? I just find it a bit strange since we're right in between the Fire country and Wind country," said Jiro after a second of silence. Mika and I both thought for a second and realized he was right. Very few Leaf ninja come here. That's strange.

"The Leaf ninja, probably think they're to good to be coming to a place like this," Mika thought out loud.

"I mean, they're always passing by, I see them all the time. Only the low level ninja from there come in, and they know nothing. So, they're no help at all," continued a now slightly pissed Mika. Jiro and I nodded in agreement. We were silent again for a few moments till I decided to stand up.

"Well, we can't do anything about it. I'm going to go try to sleep, I'm living on 4 hours of sleep this week," I say before I yawn.

"You know you always seem to sleep better when Itachi is with you," said Mika. I look over slightly confused. Both of my friends smile at me, hoping I'd get the idea. I didn't, so Jiro kindly explained.

"We mean that whenever Itachi and you go off together, the next morning you come skipping out saying how you slept a full six hours." Explained Jiro.

"That could be the reason she's so happy, but it might be because her and Itachi go to her room to fuck each other," bluntly said Mika. My face changed from its usual pale colour to a faint red.

"What are you talking about? Itachi and I have nothing going on between us. The only reason we go off to a separate room is so I can tell him what info we have," I explain. There's no way I would be romantically involved with the Uchiha, he's 3 years younger then me. Now that I think about it, that's not a very big difference. Wait! Not the point!

"You keep telling yourself that Lark, but ItaLa will happen," giggled Mika.

"ItaLa? What the hell is ItaLa?" I ask rather confused. What's going on in my friend's crazy mind this time?

"It's Itachi and Lark put together. You know, like when we put your name and Kakashi's to form KakaLa. I still like that name, it's fun to say," said Mika with a smirk on her face. Though she stopped when she realized that she said you-know-who's name. I didn't yell at her though, as long as she realized her mistake.

"OMG! ItaLa, that's so, that's so… Stupid," I bluntly say. Mika pouted and turned away from me. She can really act like a kid. Jiro looked over at me with a small smile.

"Oh, come on Lark. You and Itachi would make a cute couple," said Jiro. I stare at him with no amusement in my eyes. If they want to play matchmaker, I'll play too.

"You know who'll make a cute couple?" I ask grabbing Mika's and Jiro's attention. They both look at me with wide smiles and eagerness in their eyes.

"Who?" They both ask at the same time.

"Jiro and Deidara." I say in a sweet girly voice. Mika busted out laughing, but Jiro didn't find it as funny. His smile turned in to a frown and he looked away from Mika and I.

"That's not funny," he said, sounding a bit hurt.

"But it's true Jiro-kun! You and Dei-chan would look so cute together. Besides, we all know you two secretly love each other," I said, teasing Jiro. It's the truth though. Every time Jira and Deidara are in the same room I usually find one looking at the other. It would be cute, if they got together. Then I can tease Jiro about his relationship and call them JirDei or whatever Mika comes up with.

"That would be awesome if you guys got together! Though who would top?" Asked Mika after her little laughing fit. Our yellow-eyed friend was still not amused; he wasn't even looking at us. And if he didn't have that stupid, but useful Kekkei Genkai, Jiro would be blushing a million times red.

"Of course Jiro would top. Deidara just looks too much like a girl, I can't picture him topping. Unless Jiro wants to be bottom, that's fine too," I say, as the answer was obvious. Mika nodded in agreement and looked over at poor Jiro, who was basically sulking in the corner. We shook our heads at Jiro's silliness; he knew we were right, he was just afraid to emit it.

When I knew Jiro wasn't going to say anything, I left for my room to try to get some sleep. I hope I get more then 2 hours tonight, or I'll be completely out of it tomorrow. It wasn't long after my head hit my pillow that I was out like a light. I was too tired, I didn't even bother to change out of my fishnets, corset, skirt or heels. Though, my peaceful sleep didn't last very long.

* * *

><p>"Lark-san wake up already, un!" Exclaimed a blue-eyed blonde. I whacked my room's intruder in the face, smirking when I hear the boy yell in pain. Must have hit him pretty hard. Lazily, I sit up in my bed and look over at my clock. It read 5:00a.m. I went to bed at 2a.m so I got 3 hours of sleep. Guess that isn't so bad.<p>

"What do you want? I was sleeping!" I yell at the blonde who was holding his left cheek. That must be where I hit him.

"Sasori told me to wake you up. Leader-sama wants you to come to the sealing of the one-tail, un!" Said Deidara. I glare at him, still mad at him for waking me up. Though he was just doing what puppet boy said. For an annoying brat, he respects others quit well.

Sighing, I wave Deidara out of my room and change into my Akatsuki outfit. My cloak still had the same long sleeves, symbols and colouring, but it hugged my curves and instead of a high collar, I cut off the shoulders and made it have two straps that were tied around my neck. Underneath, I wore black yoga pants and a black tank top with a fishnet top under that. Turning to leave, I notice my Leaf forehead protector sitting on my dresser. Deciding to wear it, I pick it up and tie it around my forehead, pulling it down a bit to cover my left eye.

When I exit my room and enter the club part of the building, I see Sasori standing near the door, Jiro sitting at the bar looking rather embarrassed and Mika and Deidara were arguing about who knows what. Walking up to Sasori, I was going to ask him what they were arguing about, but he shook his head telling me that he didn't really know. The two didn't seem to notice that I even entered the room, so I snuck up on Deidara and jumped on his back.

"Hello Dei-chan! What are you and Mika arguing about on this fine morning?" I asked the surprised blonde. He didn't say anything while he tried to pry me off his back, but he didn't have much luck.

"I'll tell you later, we have to get going, un." Said Deidara as he started to walk towards the door with me still on his back. I turn to look back at Mika and Jiro and wave goodbye, but they weren't even looking at us. They seemed to have started an argument of their own. Wonder what's the matter with them.

"So, why is it just me coming to the sealing? Why aren't Mika or Jiro coming?" I ask as I get off of Deidara's back. None of the two stopped to answer, they just kept walking. Sasori answered me after we were about 30ft from the building we had just left.

"Leader-sama just told us to bring you with us after we caught the one-tail," simply stated the puppet master. I didn't say anything in return, not that Sasori minded. Looking towards the giant clay bird, I notice something with red hair wrapped up in the bird's tail.

"Is that the one-tail's jinchūriki?" I ask while stepping closer to the unconscious boy.

"Yep, caught him myself, un!" Answered Deidara. I look over to the blonde and notice that his left arm was missing and that the sleeve was torn.

"At the cost of your arm it seems. Also, you ruined your cloak! Now I'm going to have to mend it," I sulked. After I joined the Akatsuki, I took on the job of making the cloaks. Making the cloaks are fun, but not when the wearers keep tearing them. Like Hidan. He keeps tearing his cloak and it's happened so much I've had to replace it twice now.

"Don't worry Lark-san, it's just a cloak," said Deidara. I glared at him for a moment then turned my attention back to the jinchūriki. The boy didn't seem to be that old, maybe around 16 years old. To bad he's going to die, he's not a bad looking kid.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long till we reached our destination. We stopped in front of a giant boulder, which was blocking the entrance of the cave behind it. Deidara made the hand sign to release the seal on the boulder, so we'd be able to enter. When the boulder started to rise, we continued to walk forward, into the cave. There waiting for us was Pain in his hologram form.<p>

"You're late. We must get ready at once," stated Pain.

"The jinchūriki proved more powerful then we expected," said Deidara as the boulder soon blocked the entrance of the cave once again. The jinchūriki was laid on the ground and Deidara's bird disappeared. Nothing was said for a few moments as Pain made quick hand signs, making a stone statue appear behind him. I had no clue what the statue was called, all I knew was that was where the tailed beasts were stored after sealing them.

"Now let everyone gather," said Pain after the statue had fully surfaced. As soon as that was said, all the other members appeared on the fingers of the statue's hands. Both Sasori and Deidara jumped up onto the statue's left hand. I stayed on the ground, so I could ask Pain a question. Pain had noticed I hadn't moved and turned towards me.

"Why am I here?" I ask before Pain can say anything. He didn't answer right away, it seemed as if he was thinking of the answer.

"You are here to make sure we are not interrupted during the sealing. If Zetsu senses anyone approaching, you will be sent to delay them," answered Pain.

"Delay? Don't you mean kill?" I ask slightly confused. I'm a spy as well as an assassin for the Akatsuki. Assassins kill, they don't delay their targets.

"No, I mean delay. You wont be killing anyone today Lark," said Pain. Before I could protest, Pain had disappeared from where he was standing in front of me, and had appeared on one of the two empty fingers available. Sighing in defeat, I jump up onto the right hand's palm and waited for them to start.

"It will now take three days and nights, stay aware of your physical selves," said Pain.

"Zetsu! Have your physical body stand guard outside. Use the one with the greatest range," Pain instructed Zetsu. The plant looking ninja replied, telling Pain he knew what to do.

"Is it possible that it will take more then three days since we don't have Orochimaru with us?" Asked Kisame. He does make a good point. The less people helping to seal the tailed beasts, the longer it takes to seal them. Wait a minute. If they're short a member and I'm here, why aren't I helping with the sealing? I was just about to voice my thoughts when Pain started to answer Kisame.

"All the more reason to get started at once. Also, before anyone asks, Lark is only here to stop any uninvited guests and I need her on full alert. That's why she isn't helping with the sealing," said Pain, answering Kisame's question and my non-spoken one. Sometimes I think he can read minds too.

"Well if it's going to take three days, get started. I don't want to be here forever," I told everyone. I swear everyone had rolled their eyes at me, but agreed it was time to start.

They all started the sealing ritual and as they did that, I sat down, uncovered my right eye, and started to read Deidara's mind like it was a book right in front of me. If it was going to take three days, I might as well do something useful, and reading Deidara's mind seemed like a good idea. This way I can find out if he really likes Jiro and I can start planning on a way to get the two together. Jiro might not like it, but I never listen to him anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>Tell me what you guys think! I really, really, really like to hear what you guys have to say. No flames though, please. Thanks! Bye Bye <strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**So here's chapter 2 of Mind Lessons. I liked to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. They made me really happy! Just so you guys know, the fight scene in this chapter is when Kisame battles Team Gai and if you want to know how the fight goes you can go watch it because my OC is not in the actual fight. The only fights that I'll actual write are the ones where my OCs are battling together or when the fight isn't a fight in the actual show. This being because I would ruin the entire fight by writing it out. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own Lark, Mika, Jiro and the Mayumi clan.**

* * *

><p>This is sooooo boring! It's already been about one day since they've started the sealing and they weren't even close to being done. I finished reading Deidara's mind hours ago and had my forehead protector back over my eye. I found out Deidara did have a crush on Jiro, so that made me happy. Though, I have to wait till I get back to talk to Mika about making a plan to get those two together. We just love playing matchmaker.<p>

Sleep was out of the question. I already tried it and it was clearly impossible with all these people in the room. Their thoughts seemed to be coming at me at a million miles per hour. To bad I can't shut them out. Well if I can't sleep, I'll talk to Itachi through our mind bond.

"_Hey Itachi. How's it going?" _I ask through the bond.

"_It's going fine Lark. Can you please leave me alone? You distracting," _thought Itachi. I pouted and turned away from the red-eyed Uchiha. He just has to ruin my fun, doesn't he?

I look over to where the jinchuriki was. The poor boy was probably in a lot of pain. I know I'm not aloud, but I wish I could bring him back to life after this. He's still young and should live longer then 15, 16 years. Hey, I might like to kill, but when an innocent kid is dying, I can't help but feel a little sad.

Sitting back down on the stone hand, I start to play with a strand of my hair. My hair always seemed to amuse me, ever since I was little. Probably because my hair was different from everyone else's. Blonde hair with teal streaks isn't very natural, is it? But it was a Mayumi trait, so I was proud of my hair. I wonder where I got my hair colour. I know I got my teal streaks from my father, since he had black, teal streaked hair, but what about my blonde hair? Guess my mother had blonde hair. Though I'm not really sure since I've never met her and my dad doesn't have really any pictures of her, good ones at least.

Thinking about my hair seemed to have taken up some time. It seemed to me that they were closer to finishing the sealing. It was too quiet though. No one was talking and the only sound was the pain filled moans coming from the jinchuriki. I wanted someone to start talking or at least some music; don't these guys ever get bored? Getting even more irritated with the silence, I started to hum a tune. My humming got louder, but I stopped as soon as I realized what song I was humming. No, can't sing that song when others are in hearing distance they might go crazy. Now that would be good entertainment.

The song I was just humming is used for one of my genjutsus, you see. When people hear it they start to think strange thoughts and the end up going crazy. That's why that song is only used in battles, or we'd have a lot more crazy people in the world.

Time seemed to be moving really slowly. There hasn't been any ninja coming towards us. So I was sitting here being useless and bored. I tapped into Zetsu's mind to see what was going on. Though being in Zetsu's mind was somewhat confusing. Having two different personalities splits your mind in two and I didn't know what mind to go to. Deciding on reading the white Zetsu's mind, I saw what he was looking at and saw a group of 4 running at a speed too fast for a non-ninja. It looked like they were heading in our direction. Yay! Now I get to have some fun.

I pull out of Zetsu's mind just as he was about to tell everyone about our unexpected visitors.

"Our location has been discovered. Our enemy approaches." Informed Zetsu. Diedara looked towards him to ask his question.

"What enemy is that?" asked the blonde.

"A very skilled and dangerous one. His name is Might Gai," answer Zetsu. Might Gai? That name sounds familiar. I've must of met him or least heard of him before.

"Might Gai. Who is he?" Asked Pain. Itachi was the one to answer.

"He's an elite leaf shinobi. A master of taijutsu. Don't underestimate him," Itachi answered. Leaf shinobi? That must be why he sounds familiar. Must have met him when I was still in the Leaf village. Kisame seemed to remember him, but I don't know how he even knew him. Well he and Itachi went to the Leaf village 3 years ago, maybe then?

" We'll use _that_ jutsu on him," said Pain.

"I'll go. Let me take care of him. It'll give me a chance to make up for failing to find the jinchuriki host," said Hidan. Does he really think he's going to be go? Did he forget I was right there? Or did he think I was just there for something to look at?

"No, leave him to me. I know him and I have a personal score to settle with him," said Kisame. Did he think the same thing as Hidan? Pain had said before we even started that I was here to delay intruders.

"None of you will be going because I'm going. That's the whole reason I'm here." I say.

"Zetsu, just tell me where they are and I'll be there right away," I tell the plant ninja. He didn't say anything to me, which made me a bit mad. I look towards Pain, silently asking him to tell Zetsu to give me the Leaf ninja's location, and send me on my way.

"Yes. You have the most chakra then any of the Akatsuki. You're probably more suited employ that jutsu. Very well Kisame," said Pain, completely ignoring me.

"Hey! What about me? You said that I was here to keep people away! What's the point of having me here if you're going to send someone else to fight!" I yell at Pain. Not really what you're supposed to do to your leader, but he didn't seem to care.

"The reason you aren't going Lark is because it is Leaf shinobi. I don't want the Leaf to know that you're part of the Akatsuki," answered Pain. That doesn't make any sense! They're going to find out sooner or later, so why not sooner?

"They're going to find out anyway. So why bother?" I replied. Pain shook his head and looked straight at me.

"Fine. Lark you will go with Kisame. Kisame I want you to make sure Lark is not hurt. She is very valuable to us and we can't risk losing her. Now go, but Kisame I still need you to leave 30% of your chakra here." Said Pain. Both Kisame and I didn't like the idea of working together, but agreed nonetheless.

"Well, well finally. I can pay him back for that kick he gave me," said Kisame. Without asking, Zetsu gave me an image of where Might Gai was. I transported to where the battle was going to happen. This will be fun.

* * *

><p>Kisame had made it to the group of leaf ninja before me, and was now standing in front of the group. I appeared beside him as the leaf shinobi were staring at us. The ninja that I guess was Might Gai, since he looked older then the other three seemed to be thinking hard. Maybe he recognized Kisame or maybe even me.<p>

"Who are you?" Asked the weird looking ninja. Guess he doesn't remember then. Now that I think about it, this guy looked really familiar. I remember! He's Kakashi's friend, I think. I remember him always going on about youth and stuff like that. He was a weird person.

Dust was still in the air from when Kisame must have appeared, so the leaf shinodi didn't see me right away. Though when the dust cleared, they all gasped when they saw my scratched forehead protector.

"You're from the leaf," stated Might Gai. I look at him with my left eye. Shock appeared in his eyes. Using my right hand I uncover my right eye, so everyone could see it. What they saw wasn't an eye identical to the left. They still saw a bright, ice blue eye, but a black swirl was present around the eye's pupil.

"Well of course I'm from the leaf. Why would I have a leaf symbol if I wasn't?" I said. Kisame hadn't said anything and was still just staring at the group. A boy with pale purple eyes looked to be analyzing him. He has the Byakugan, so he already knows that Kisame will be hard to beat because of his high chakra levels. For me, he can probably tell that a lot of chakra is focused into my eyes. Not that it matters. They still wont be able to beat us.

"Your memory is as bad as your haircut," Kisame said, directing it at Might Gai. This made Gai realize that he must know Kisame from somewhere, but he still couldn't remember. Kisame's right, this guy's memory is bad. I had gone through his mind and hi didn't remember Kisame or me. How upsetting.

"Have I met you somewhere before?" Asked Gai. I looked up at Kisame. He seemed all right with the fact Gai didn't remember him, but on the inside he was angry. I would be too if I wasn't remembered from 3 years ago. That isn't a very long time gap.

"It's no wonder you're called a beast. Your intelligence is certainly subhuman. Well don't worry, I'll refresh your memory soon enough," replied Kisame. I started to giggle and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. It's not my fault. It's a habit; I always seem to giggle like mad before battle.

"What?" I ask. Everyone was still staring at me, so I took the moment to say a few things.

"Well, since no one remembers anyone I'll introduce everyone. It's only to be polite." I look towards the Byakugan user first.

"You're Hyuga Neji. And I must say your Byakugan is very impressive," I say. Next was the only girl on the team.

"Your name's Tenten. I feel sorry for you. Being the only girl on the team must be hard," I said. Then I turned to the third boy who looked like a mini, younger version of Gai.

"I would like to call you Gai Jr. but that's not your name. Your name is Rock Lee. Also word of advice. Get a new haircut cause that one isn't doing you any favours. I already know your sensei's name, so no need to say it," I say. The whole team looked at me in surprise.

"How did you know our names? We've never met you before," asked Neji. Isn't it obvious? Then again these kids did just meet me, so they have no idea about my Kekkei Genkai.

"I know them because I read your minds. No it's not a jutsu, well it kind of is, but it's my Kekkei Genkai and that's all you need to know," I answer. None of them looked happy to know that I could read minds. This gave them a big disadvantage.

"Let's start. Kisame I'll get out of the way, our styles of fighting are completely different and we'd only hurt each other. If I'm needed I'll use my genjutsu." I tell Kisame in a hushed whisper that only he could hear. He nodded, telling me he understood, and he threw his sword in the air as I jumped out of they way. I landed on a rock that was far from the battle, but close enough so I could see and hear.

I knew from when Pain said that Kisame was going that I wouldn't be doing much or any fitting. Kisame used water jutsu and I used lightning, those two elements do not go together at all. If I did fight and used my ninjutsu, I'd most likely electrocute Kisame and that would be bad.

So instead of fighting, I'll survey the battle and tried to get info on the Leaf. This is the reason I'm a spy. By reading the minds of others, I can find out every thought they've had since birth and that means all their secrets to. Since Gai has been a jonin a lot longer then the Hyuga, I figured he'd know a lot more about the Kohona then the others. While the others fought, I sat with only my right eye open and began to read the Green Beast's mind.

Every 10 minutes I would look to see who was winning the fight. It seemed Kisame was winning, as expected. The shark ninja had the three teens trapped inside water prisons with three-shadow clones keeping the jutsu up, while the real Kisame battled Gai. Sighing, I went back to reading Gai's mind. There were some things about Kohona that Gai knew, but we already knew what Gai knew. Though I did find that the nine-tails is back and coming for Gaara, the one-tail. That should be interesting.

* * *

><p>By the time I was finished, Kisame seemed to have been defeated. I jumped down to where Kisame's body was lying, but once I got closer I realized that it wasn't Kisame's body. Instead it was the body of some man that I had no clue who he was. That was the jutsu Pain had said they'd use, the Shape shifting Technique. So it wasn't really Kisame at all who was battling, just a copy, so if Kisame were killed he wouldn't actually be dead, the copy would be. Wait!<p>

"Now that's not fair! Kisame had gotten a double, so that if he died the real Kisame would be all right. What is I was fighting and I died? Mayumi Lark would be no more!" I exclaimed, stomping my feet like a kid having a tantrum. Gai and his team had come up behind me and were staring at me with confusion. Though they were still prepared to defend themselves if I attacked. Huffing in anger I turn towards the group.

"Don't worry I'm not going to attack. I left the fighting for shark boy. Now I'll be off," I say as I wave and turn to leave, but Gai stopped me before I could leave.

"You said 'Mayumi Lark would be no more,' is that you?" Asked the tired looking shinobi.

"What do you think? Think about the Mayumi clan and what their traits are, and then get back to me when you have the answer. Bye Bye," I said and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Yeah, that was just a shadow clone, the real me was already back at the hideout where everyone else was.

I didn't speak at all when I returned to the hideout; I was still upset that Pain didn't care enough to use the Shape shifting Technique on me. Everyone could sense my anger, so they didn't bother to ask any question, Pain did ask me though about the info I collected. Not saying a word, I sent the info to his mind. Pain had sent Zetsu to get rid of the bodies that were used for the Shape shifting Technique and then asked Itachi about a group he was sent to delay.

"It's a four man squad from the leaf. Comprised of Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, the nine-tails' jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto and Chiyo, an elder of the sand." Said Itachi. My eyes widened in shock. Kakashi was coming? I haven't seen Kakashi in eight years, why does fate decide that now would be the time for Kakashi and I to see each other again? Not that I care, I mean… It's just that Kakashi was a good friend when I was still with the village and it would just be awkward when we see each other. Yeah, that's it.

The sealing continued in silence and I just sat there thinking about what my encounter with Kakashi will be like. I fell flat onto my back and kept repeating one word: Awkward.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! Please review, but no flames. Thanks! Bye Bye. <strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is here! I'd like to thank the people who have reviewed so far. I'm glad to hear that people like my story. It seems people like this story a lot more then my other ones, but that's ok, I like this one more too. Now on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

><p>The sealing's almost done and that means Gaara's life is almost over. Our annoying pests from the Leaf are getting closer; I can faintly hear their thoughts. I'm so tired, they've been at it for three days and have finally reached the finally stage of the sealing. During all this I haven't gotten a wink of sleep. My insomnia is getting worse, I've only slept 7 hours this entire week and it's not fun. Well, if I die of sleep deprivation at least I'll be sleeping in someway.<p>

"What should we do with these annoying pests?" Asked Kisame. Just what I was thinking.

"Yes, they're getting closer and more quickly then we anticipated," said Zetsu. He is right. These shinobi are moving pretty fast. If I can here their thoughts, then they'll be here soon.

"Not to worry. We've delayed them just enough. Ignore them," replied Pain.

"In any event we have a back up plan," said Pain. Guess that means I might actually get to fight.

"I think he means that in the end, it'll be up to you and me, Sasori. As well as Lark, un." Said Deidara. Finally, someone remembered on their own why I was here in the first place. This is why I like Deidara, he seems to have a much better memory then the other Akatsuki members.

"Well then, lets finish up here. We'll need a moment to catch our breath before greeting our guests," said Sasori.

"Then how bout you guys stop talking and hurry up. That way you'll be done a lot faster," I say. You could tell by the sound of my voice that I was getting inpatient and wanted this to be done with.

"Calm down Lark. We'll be done soon," said Itachi. Oh, so now he'll talk to me. Good to know he hasn't completely ignored me.

I rolled my eyes before I closed them. Focusing on the mind bonds I have with people, I try to find the one I had with Kakashi. It's been so long since I used that bond, but it'll be helpful to find out what his team is like and how he's approved over the years.

It wasn't long until I found Kakashi's bond. Wonder what's new with him. As soon as I tried to enter his mind, I felt little shocks in my head. Must be because I haven't used that bond in awhile. Though the farther I got into his mind, the worse the shocks got. The shocks got so bad that I had to leave Kakashi's mind. I hiss a bit in pain. What happened? Never have I had this problem.

I grasp my head in pain and I slowly sit up. No one seemed to have noticed my sudden in take of air due to the pain. Well, no one except Itachi. His red eyes staring at me with what I'd like to think of as worry. Giving him a small closed eyed smile, Itachi closes his eyes once again and focuses on the sealing. Maybe Itachi is worried about me sometimes.

"It's almost done," said Pain.

"They're almost here," I say in a tired voice. No one replied to what I said, they all knew I was right.

* * *

><p>Gaara's thoughts were getting fainter and fainter. The boy could barely remember who he was. His death was near. An innocent boy is going to die. Not like anyone would care. I've heard about him before and this young man is the most feared shinobi in the Sand Village. I feel sort of sorry for him, having no one to love you your enter life must be hard. Oh Kame, I'm feeling sorry for someone I don't even know. The lack of sleep must be really affecting me.<p>

"It is complete," said Pain. The boy's thoughts were completely gone now. I watched with bored eyes as the boy dropped to the ground with a loud thud.

"Finally," sighed Sasori.

"So in the end it did take three days and nights, un," said Deidara. Stretching, I look around at everyone to see that they were all happy that it was finally over. I was relieved that it was done. Now I can actually do something or maybe have a conversation with someone other then myself.

"Well done. Good work everyone," congratulated Pain. He looked towards me as I was getting up from my sitting position. I raised my eyebrow at him, asking him why he was staring at me.

"Lark, when are the Leaf shinobi going to arrive?" Asked Pain. Soon as he asked this, I sensed eight minds all belonging to shinobi.

"They're already here. Though it'll take awhile for them to brake the barrier," I answered, glancing towards the cave's blocked entrance with a smirk on my lips.

"What a pity. They're too late," said Kisame. Everyone looked towards the now dead Gaara.

"It also seems that one of them is a jinjuriki," said Sasori. He then started to laugh evilly. That's creepy. Laughing can be nice, but evil laughter is just plain scary.

"Don't be jealous, Itachi," said Sasori as he continued to laugh. Why would Itachi be jealous? Oh yeah, the nine-tails is his target. Well too bad for him, eh?

"Shouldn't we get this show on the road? We've got company outside and there's still the small matter of a mission we have to complete," stated Hidan.

"Yes. Let's get going," said the white Zetsu, I think. This voice sounded friendlier, so I'm pretty sure it was white Zetsu.

"What about the intruders?" Asked black Zetsu.

"I wouldn't lose too much sleep over them. We're not even sure they can get in here," said Kisame. I glared at him for making that sleep comment. He always finds a way to tease me on my insomnia, even if it isn't deliberate.

"Don't underestimate them. You should know better Kisame," said Itachi.

"Yeah Kisame. Didn't you learn your lesson when that Gai guy, ok that sounded weird, but never mind that. Don't you remember when he beat your ass?" I ask Kisame. These guys where strong. It wouldn't be a wise decision to underestimate them.

"That wasn't even the real me," answered Kisame. I look at him with an amused look. Teasing him is fun.

"Still. It was your jutsu and your chakra. So technically I was you," I say right back. Sometimes this guy actually had a brain the size of a fish. Kisame scoffed at my statement and looked in the opposite direction. I giggle to myself, knowing I pissed him off.

"Sasori. Deidara. Lark. Take care of our new… Friends outside," instructed Pain.

"I'd have a feeling you'd say that, un," said Deidara. The smirk on my lips grew even bigger at the thought of a fight.

"This will be a blast. Right boys?" I said glancing over at both Deidara and Sasori nodded in agreement.

"But I want the jinjuriki alive," said Pain.

"Well of course. Though that does take a bit of the fun out of it," I sulk. I'm starting to act like a kid. Oh well. That side of me always makes everything interesting.

"Understood," answered Sasori, totally ignoring my answer.

"Everyone else is dismissed," said Pain. At that everyone leaves, though before Itachi left, Sasori asked him what the nine-tails jinjuriki was like.

"He's the kind that bursts in and barks first," said Itachi, he then left. Huh? What's that supposed to mean? It seemed that Sasori and Deidara were just as confused as I was. Itachi always has to make things difficult. We jumped down from the statue right before it disappeared. I had uncovered my right eye, so that way Kakashi would know for sure it was me.

Standing in front of the entrance waiting for our guests to enter is really boring. So I decided to start some friendly conversation with Deidara cause I knew Sasori would just ignore me.

"So Deidara. How's life?" I ask. No answer. What? Is he ignoring me now too? I'm always ignored. Does nobody like me or something? This is just rude. I huffed and turn to face away from the cave's entrance.

* * *

><p>Ok, they are taking their sweet time with this, aren't they? They should be in here by now and like Sasori, I hate waiting. I was getting sort of pissed by now for two reasons: One, these Leaf ninja are late, and two… Deidara is still not talking to me! He was just talking to Sasori a second ago, but when I tried to talk to the blonde he just fucking ignores me. I thought we were friends.<p>

A rumbling was soon heard from outside. Looks like they broke the barrier. Finally the fun can start. Though instead of eight people, only four enter. Them being, Chiyo, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi.

"Now which one of you would be the jinuriki? Un," Asked Deidara after we have a little stare down with our guests. Naruto glanced down at Gaara. The thoughts running through his mind were quit amusing to see. He was really mad and he started to show it.

"You BASTERDS! I'll kill the three of you!" Yelled an outraged Naruto. Giggling, I point at the blonde.

"He's the jinuriki, Dei-chan!" I say in a kidish tone. Kakashi looked over at me. Images of me from when I was younger flashed through his mind. So he remembers me after all this time. I smirk at him, letting him know I caught him staring.

"Hatake Kakashi. It's been awhile hasn't it?" I say. Everyone was silent and looked at me. I gave them all my famous Mayumi smirk, well that's what Mika calls it.

"Kakashi-sensei, you know this women?" Asked Sakura. Kakashi seemed hesitant, but answered quickly.

"Yes. Her name is Mayumi Lark. Everyone be cautious of her and do not look in to her eyes," answered Kakashi. Well this isn't as awkward as I'd thought it would be, that's a good thing. Though, Kakashi still thought I still had to look into peoples' eyes to read their mind. Oh how wrong he was.

"Oh Kakashi. You think after all this time my Kokoro no ressun (Mind Lessons) would still be that weak. Silly Kashi," I said. Shock appeared in Kakashi's eye. Finally figured out I see. They're all in my trap now.

Kakashi silently swore to himself and looked over at his teammates. He's worried that I'll kill them. Killing was on my agenda, but I doubt I'll be doing much of anything while Sasori and Deidara are here to fight. How depressing.

"You bastards. Where do you think you're sitting!" Exclaimed Naruto. Looking down I see that Deidara had sat down on Gaara's body.

"He really is the one who bursts in and barks first alright. Seriously, Itachi was right on the money, huh? Un," said Deidara and I'm pretty sure he was directing it to Sasori and not me. Sasori didn't say anything. He seems caught in a staring contest with the old lady. Going into his wooden mind, I see why he's so interested in the hag, she's his grandmother. Awww, we're just having a reunion today aren't we?

"What the hell are you doing? Why are you just lying there? Get up, Gaara," said Naruto. I look down at Gaara and then back to Naruto.

"I don't think the dead can hear. So your attempts of trying to wake him aren't going to work," I tell the blonde jinuriki. That made the blonde super anger, but Kakashi got him to calm down a little. I look down at Deidara and hit him on the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for? Un," asked Deidara who was now rubbing the back of his head. Glaring at him, I cross my arms and by my posture he knew I was pissed at something.

"Get off the kid. It's not polite to sit on the dead, that's just disrespectful," I scold the blonde. Dead bodies are not to be used as a couch. If they were, we'd have some really ugly and smelly couches. Deidara huffed at my response, but he still stayed where he was sitting. I rolled my eyes and looked back towards the group in front of us.

"Give him back. Give Gaara back!" Yelled Naruto. He then started to charge at us. I jumped in front of Deidara and Sasori ready to fight, but still had my usual laid back posture. Though before Naruto could get any closer, Kakashi had to stop him and ruin the fun.

"Cool it. Charge in with out thinking and we're done for," said Kakashi who was staring straight at me. Smirking, I jump back behind the two Akatsuki members.

"You should really listen to Kakashi. He can be very helpful and we don't want you getting hurt. Do we Naruto?" I say. Naruto just glared at me with so much hate, I could feel it in the air.

"I'll hold on to him," said Sasori. I look to see him staring at the dead jinuriki.

"It seems that the jinniuriki will stop at nothing to get him back," said Sasori.

"Yeah. That's putting it lightly," replied Deidara. Feeling that I had no part in that little conversation, I stayed silent.

"I don't think you'll want to here this, but I think I'll take care of the jinuriki," said Deidara. Sasori gave him a sideways glance and I look at him like he was nuts. This is the nine-tails we're talking about. I'm not saying Deidara can't handle it, but both Sasori and I have a lot more experience then the 19-year-old blonde. Also Deidara has only one arm at the moment.

"Don't push your luck Deidara," said Sasori. I nodded my head in agreement. Deidara just huffed at Sasori.

"An artist must always seek greater stimulation, lest his senses go dull on him. Un," said Deidara. He then looked down at his one hand and the mouth on it started chewing. I always found his hands creepy and the way I found out about them didn't help my opinion on them. Did you know if you shake Deidara's hand, his hand mouths lick you? It's gross.

"It's said that the nine-tails is pretty powerful. A canvas truly worthy of my artistry, un," continued Deidara. Sasori did not seem happy at Deidara's last sentence.

"What? Those pirates' techniques of yours, art? Art is a work of beauty, captured and left for posterity. Art is eternal beauty." Said Sasori. Oh no, not this argument again. They always argue on what the correct meaning of art was. I think art can be in many forms, but whenever I say anything they tell me I'm wrong and go back to arguing.

"Eternal beauty? Are you kidding me? Look, don't get me wrong as a fellow artist I respect your point of view. But true art is fleeting. A flash of beauty flashing brightly and then vanishing in a heartbeat. Un," said Deidara in a touching way. I put my hand to my chest and wipe an imaginary tear away from my eye. That was so touching. Who knew Deidara can say beautiful things like that. Though Sasori didn't share my thoughts.

"What did you say?" Asked an annoyed Sasori. Why can't they just agree that there are different forms of art and leave it at that? I decided to put my opinion in. Maybe I can settle the argument, or just make it worse.

"Well this is what I think about your guys' art," I began as I bent down to their level.

"Sasori, your art is creepy, not beautiful. Puppets are creepy. Deidara, your art can be cute at times before it disappears. So I like your art better then puppet boy's. But my art. My art is the best," I say, getting up from my crouched position. Deidara laughed at my statement, but Sasori glared at me. All of us forgetting about the four shinobi here with us.

"Your art? What is your art?" Asked Sasori. I gave him a slightly pissed off look, but then answered.

"Well music's my art. Music is everywhere and there are different types, so that everyone can enjoy it," I say, smiling at my view of music.

"You call that screeching you do art?" Said Sasori. This made me mad.

"Screeching? I don't screech, bats screech, I sing." I said. No one can call my music screeching. I've had many people comment on my voice and not once was it described as screeching.

"It seems that two of us here don't understand the true meaning of art," said Sasori.

"Yes and that would be you and Lark, un," replied Deidara. Naruto seemed to be getting a bit frustrated with our bickering, but we ignored him.

"Nonsense. Art is eternal beauty," said Sasori.

"Don't be observed. True art only lasts a moment, un," said Deidara. I shook my head at both the artists.

"You're both wrong. Art is something that comes in different forms and that everyone can enjoy," I said. At that Naruto lost it and summoned, what looked like a Fuuma Shuriken, and threw it at us. None of us even looked at it. Before it got to close, Sasori stopped it with his metal tail.

"Are you trying to make me angry?" Asked a pissed Sasori. Both Deidara and I started to defend ourselves. By holding up our hands in a way to tell Sasori to take it easy.

"Take it easy. I told you wouldn't want to hear it, un," defended Deidara.

"Yeah Sasori. No need to get angry," I said, backing away a little from Sasori. I didn't want to get killed because of some silly argument.

"I don't have to remind you what happens when I get angry, do I?" asked Sasori, raising his tail a bit as some poison dripped off the tip.

"Why don't you two explain it to me again?" Said Sasori. I sighed at him, letting him know that I was out of this argument. Deidara though, got up and started to talk about art again. Yeah, good idea Deidara, make Sasori angrier.

"Art is one and one thing only. The explosion it's self, un!" Said Deidara as he threw a little clay bird into the air. The little bird then turned into a big bird when Deidara made a hand sign. Everyone looked surprised when Deidara's bird could be clearly seen.

The clay bird landed and took Gaara'a body into its mouth. Before Deidara got on the bird, he had to make one more comment about art. That comment made Sasori mad and Deidara was almost hit in the face with Sasori's tail. Luckily, Deidara jumped out of the way just in time. During all this, I was shaking my head at the two morons I had to work with.

"See you around, un." Said Deidara as he flew out of the cave. Naruto soon ran after him in complete rage. Kakashi was then about to run after him when he stopped to tell the two others what to do.

"Naruto and I will take the one outside. Sakura, Lady Chiyo. You two take the two inside, but don't do anything rash until team Gai gets back," instructed Kakashi.

"Right! You got it," replied Sakura as Kakashi left the cave. I stared off after Kakashi, but soon turned my gaze back towards the two in front of us.

"I think you can take care of these two yourself Sasori. I'll go after Deidara and see if he needs any help," I say. I know Sasori can handle these two. Like come on, one's a little pink haired girl and the other's an old lady. This should be a breeze for Sasori and he doesn't need my help.

"Fine. Just don't do anything reckless," said Sasori. I nodded and ran for the exit. Though Sakura stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Sakura, standing right in font of me. I smirk down at the girl. Right then she realized she shouldn't have gotten so close to me. Too late.

Charging up some electricity on my right hand, I take a step back. Making it look like I was backing off. Though when I was about 2ft away from her, I threw a punch right in her side, releasing the electricity in my hand. Sakura went flying to the side and when she landed she was twitching in pain. Chiyo ran to her side to make sure she was all right.

"Don't worry. I didn't shock her enough to do any damage. Just enough to keep her immobilized for a minute," I say. I ran from the cave before anyone could respond.

Kakashi and Naruto were standing on top of the wooden frame outside, staring at Deidara who was circling around. Looks like I haven't missed anything yet. I saw that Kakashi had his Sharingan uncovered. Deidara really is going to need my help if he wants to get the jinuriki alone. I jump up to where Kakashi and Naruto where standing, Neither of them noticing that I was there.

"Let the games begin," I whisper in Kakashi's ear. This made him turn in my direction in shock. Though I was gone before he fully turned.

Keep in mind Kakashi, that I'm not the same little girl as before.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please review, but no flames. Thanks! Bye Bye.<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4. Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I must warn you guys that I'm pretty sure that this chapter really sucks… I don't know why, but I had a hard time writing it. Guess it just didn't want to be written. So please don't hate me if it sucks, I'll try to make the next chapter a lot better.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Nartuo. I do however own Lark, Mika and Jiro.**

* * *

><p>This is going to be tricky. Having Kakashi with Naruto wasn't part of our plan. We were hoping to get the jinuriki alone, but it looks like that's not going to happen. I would try to get Kakashi to fight me, though he most likely won't follow me when Naruto's going after Deidara, the guy who defeated the fifth Kazekage.<p>

I had joined Deidara on the back of his clay bird and right know we were just staring at the jinuriki and the Copy ninja.

"Deidara, I'll summon Toshi. That way if I can get Kakashi separated from Naruto it'll be easier to get away. Also, I don't have to share a ride with you," I whispered to Deidara. The young artist nodded his head as I bit down on my thumb.

"Summoning Jutsu!" I exclaimed. A big puff of smoke then appeared beside us. When the smoke cleared a Giant golden-crowned flying fox appeared. Though this bat was a lot larger then they usually were. This is because Toshi was a nin-bat.

"Glad to see you Toshi," I said greeting the giant bat as I jumped onto his back.

"Glad to see you too Lark-san," replied Toshi. Both Naruto and Kakashi were surprised at our new teammate. Not very often you see a giant bat, is it? Deidara and the other hand, was unfazed by Toshi's appearance.

"What can I do for you today, Lark-san?" Asked Toshi.

"Nothing right now. Just needed a ride, but we might be fighting soon," I answer. Toshi nodded and didn't protest to the reason why he was summoned.

"Are you really sure you want to waste your time on me, un? Kakashi-sensei with the Sharingan. You know, Sasori is probably a more dangerous opponent then I am, as much as I'd hate to say that, un. His idea of art is very different then mine, " said Deidara. Kakashi didn't say anything; he just stared up at Deidara and I.

"Lark here, is very dangerous as well and when she's teamed up with someone, her and her partner are unbeatable," added Deidara. How sweet of Deidara to say that. If he keeps acting like this I'll find Jiro a new boyfriend, that way I can have Deidara. Nah, Deidara and Jiro would be better for each other.

"Well thank you Dei-chan. You're pretty dangerous yourself," I said, smiling towards the blonde beside me. I look down at Kakashi with amusement in my eyes.

"Come on Kakashi. You and I can fight while Deidara and the jinuriki go off and fight somewhere else. This way we can catch up with each other," I say to the masked ninja. Kakashi seemed frustrated with my offer. Probably can't decide if he should go after me or stay with Naruto. The guy also has to worry about the two kunoichi fighting Sasori. Tough choices.

A loud thud came from the cave a few moments later. Guess they've finally started.

"How confident are you in that young girl and the old lady? Do you really think they can defeat Sasori, un?" Asked Deidara as his hand mouth chewed on some clay. Both Leaf shinobi had looked back at the cave, but turned back to us a second later. Naruto had told Kakashi to go help Sakura, but there was no way Kakashi was going to leave Naruto alone with two Akatsuki members.

Naruto then jumped towards Deidara in rage. Bad choice. Soon a bomb went off right when Deidara and I flew out of the way. Deidara then threw another bomb at Kakashi, who threw a shuriken at the bomb and then deflect the same shuriken when the bomb went off.

"Good. It would have been very disappointing if you were defeated that easily, un," said Deidara. Toshi's ears twitched towards the cliff side, making me focus me attention to where Naruto was climbing out from the rock.

"Let go of him. I'll never let you have him!" Exclaimed Naruto. I stare at the boy with a bit of confusion.

"Why do you care for Gaara so much? Never have I seen someone care for a jinuriki. It's odd," I say. Deidara agreed.

"Yeah. We've destroy two jinuriki to this day, not including this one of course, but no one ever tried to save them from us before. Not a single friend or neighbour, not a soul came to their aid, un. In fact it seemed that most people were happy to finally be rid of them. And soon the same thing's going to happen…" Said Deidara. Though I finished off his sentence.

"To you! It's sad really. Not having anyone to care for you. If it was me I'd probably want to die," I say. Features of the nine-tail fox were now very noticeable on Naruto. The boy was getting so angry that it seemed like heat was coming from his hands.

"If Gaara's dead. You're gonna pay!" Exclaimed Naruto. I laughed at the boy's threat.

"I'd like to see you try fox!" I said, making the boy even angrier. This is fun. Seeing people losing it because of what you say can really amuse you. That's probably why I try to anger people often.

Deidara then started to fly off with the nine-tails in tow. I stayed, hoping that Kakashi would stay and fight me instead. Didn't seem like that was going to happen though. Kakashi had tried to get Naruto to stop, but Naruto said that he could take Deidara and that Kakashi should stay back.

"Maybe you should listen to the boy Kakashi and go help the girl and old lady. Though if you do that, I'll be free to do what ever I want and I'd probably go help Deidara with the nine-tails. The choice is yours. Either help the two kinoichi, help Naruto or fight me," I tell Kakashi. The masked ninja looked back at me for a quick second then took off towards Naruto. I sighed in frustration. This would be a lot easier if Kakashi would just fight me, but no. Nothing ever goes my way.

"Are we going to follow them?" Asked Toshi.

"I guess, but don't get to close. We don't want to be hit with Deidara's bombs. Try to get up in front of Deidara," I tell the bat. Toshi nodded and began flying towards the small group. The sound of Toshi flapping his wings was really loud, so it was hard for me to hear what was going on below. Nothing interesting was happening anyway.

Soon enough, Deidara started to throw his clay bombs. For a second I had thought that both Naruto and Kakashi were goners, but they got lucky and kept chasing Deidara. More and more bombs went at them and they kept dodging. Toshi and I hadn't gotten in front yet and it seemed Deidara wasn't looking where he was throwing because one of his bombs almost hit me.

"Watch where you're throwing those things you moron! You almost hit us!" I exclaimed. The bomber just laughed at me and went back to bombing his opponents.

"Jerk!" I whisper to myself. Toshi chuckled at my response.

"What so funny?" I ask the giant bat.

"You are," answered Toshi. I raised my eyebrow, a bit confused of his answer.

"How so?" I ask.

"You just are," replied the golden coloured bat. Well thanks for clearing that up. Toshi was never someone who liked to explain himself. The bat's ears soon turned back towards the direction where Sasori was fighting. Must be a pretty tough fight for that much noise to be made.

"Wonder how Sasori's holding up," said Toshi. I glance behind us, but soon look forward.

"He'll be fine. This is Sasori we're talking about. He's never lost a fight," I say. Sasori's fighting style may creep me out, but he's a damn good fighter.

We soon came up beside Deidara just as he was about to speed up. Though Toshi matched his speed perfectly and we flew calmly beside him. Naruto had sped up as well, losing Kakashi behind.

"Looks like we're losing Kakashi," I said as I looked back.

"Not for long. Though I have a plan to get rid of the copy ninja, un," said Deidara.

"Then get to it. I don't want to be here all day," I replied. Deidara nodded and then threw a whole lot of little clay bombs towards Kakashi. At closer inspection, these bombs looked like crickets. These bombs are best at jumping.

Deidara's cricket bombs had spread out, blocking Kakashi's way. Naruto had kept going, leaving Kakashi to deal with the bombs himself. A few had gone off and Kakashi got stuck in one, but he came out of it fine.

Wait. Something doesn't seem right about Kakashi. Going into his mind, I find that this wasn't the real Kakashi. My eyes widened in shock. If that isn't the real Kakashi then…

My thoughts were interrupted when a huge explosion went off.

"That takes care of him, un," said Deidara. I shake my head, trying to find Kakashi's mind. I can't find it. Where the hell is he?

"Don't be to sure," I said. Deidara looked towards me in confusion, but brushed it off before I could answer. He stopped and turned to look at Naruto.

"Now it's just the three of us," stated Deidara. Naruto scowled at the blonde and then looked at me with the same scowl, but I wasn't even looking at the boy. I was more focused on pin pointing Kakashi's mind.

"Oh don't scowl like that. And here I was, about to show you your friend," said Deidara. At that his clay bird opened its mouth to reveal Gaara's body. This just made Naruto even angrier.

"Stop tormenting the kid. If he gets any angrier, he'll rip off your other arm," I told the bomber. Deidara glared at me from the corner of his eye, not appreciating my comment about his arm.

"Give him back right now!" Exclaimed Naruto as he lunged towards us.

"Don't do it!" My eyes widened in shock, but soon turned to a glare. Kakashi had stopped Naruto. Why couldn't I sense him? There's no mind alive that I can't sense.

"How did I miss you?" I growled, but no one paid attention to my question. Instead Deidara complained on how he thought Kakashi was a goner.

"Next time you should teach your critters to tell the difference between a human and a shadow clone. If there is a next time," said Kakashi. I rolled my eyes and then looked directly at Kakashi.

"Is that a threat?" I ask. Kakashi glared at me.

"Maybe it is," answered Kakashi. I scoffed at his answer.

"I'm so scared," I said in a fake whiny voice. Kakashi's glare hardened. Deidara took off again after he saw that Kakashi wasn't going to say anything back to me and I went with him. Though we didn't go far, just high enough away so we could think of a plan.

"Sasori's going to yell at me again for not being prepared. What can I say? Planning out every insignificant detail just isn't my style. I prefer to be more flexible with unexpected situations, un," said Deidara.

"That may be, but sometimes not thinking a head will get you killed," I tell him. He looks over at me with a bit of anger in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me that the Copy ninja was still alive, un? I'm sure you were able to get into his mind," Asked Deidara. I scowled; mad at myself for not being able to get in to Kakashi's mind.

"I couldn't," I spat. Deidara seemed confused.

"What do you mean?" Asked Deidara. Clenching my fists, I answered again.

"I couldn't get into his mind. I couldn't figure out where he was," I answered, getting angrier and angrier every time I thought about it.

"How weren't you-," started Deidara.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled. Deidara flinched and then was frozen in shock. Sighing, I give Deidara a small apologetic smile. He still seemed a bit weary off me and dropped the topic, starting to think of what to do.

I looked towards Kakashi and tried to enter his mind again. This time having no trouble at all. He must have learned a jutsu to block out mind readers. Though I haven't heard anything about a jutsu that can do that. I know of some genjutsu that can block you out but I would be able to tell. This is really frustrating.

Kakashi is planning on using his Sharingan. Though that's all I can figure out. He has a plan and it involves himself and genjutsu from the Sharingan. Damnit! Why can't I get more info? Not that it matters I guess. If the Sharingan's genjutsu is going to be used, I wont be able to stop anything.

"They're planning on using the Sharingan, but that's all I got. So be careful," I told Deidara. He didn't answer, but I knew he heard me. He started to fly away again and I again followed, as did Kakashi and Naruto.

"The kid has cooled down, that can't be good," I said. I got a nod in return from Deidara. I'm pretty sure he's a bit mad at me for lashing out at him. Can't do anything about now.

* * *

><p>This is taking too long. My patience is running thin; they should have acted long ago. When are they going to act? The boy barely knows anything, only that Kakashi's going to do something. Kakashi had started doing something that involved his Sharingan, so I wasn't able to get into his mind. This is the reason I hate Sharingan. I can't get into the user's mind without their permission. That's the only reason why I can read Itachi's mind, because he lets me in.<p>

I soon sensed something. There was something different about Kakashi's Sharingan. It felt like Itachi's…

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Questioned Deidara. I look over at him with a bit of fear in my eyes.

"Mangekyo Sharingan is a very dangerous form of Sharingan. Itachi uses it sometimes," I answer. This is bad. If one of us gets caught in it's genjutsu, it can spell the end for us.

"Can't you deflect it?" Asked Deidara, who was now becoming a bit concerned. I shook my head.

"My Kokoro no ressun can't deflect genjutsu from the Sharingan. So don't get hit by it and if you do, try your damn hardest to get out of it," I tell the blonde.

"Toshi, stay on high alert and if you feel any change in the air, drop down. Kakashi wont be able to follow us that quickly," I instruct the bat. Toshi nodded and pricked his ears up, making it so he can sense any change.

We continued on like we knew nothing and waited for them to act. I knew I'd be able to get out of the way in time since Toshi's the fastest summon I have, but I'm not sure about Deidara. Let's hope that training he did with his left eye to negate genjutsu wasn't for nothing.

It wasn't long till I noticed Naruto falling back behind Kakashi. Looks like he's going to act soon, Deidara better be ready. Toshi's ears flicked back right before he dropped. I had to focus chakra into the soles of my feet in order to stay on.

"Sorry Lark-san, but you did tell me to drop as soon as I felt something," said Toshi.

"It's fine. I should have prepared before hand," I say. Looking up, I see that Deidara wasn't as lucky as us. He got caught in the genjutsu.

I looked towards Kakashi and it seemed that he was having trouble aiming his jutsu. By the looks of it, this jutsu was a space and time jutsu.

"Deidara get out of it!" I yell at the blonde when I saw he was having difficulties. Though it wasn't like Deidara could respond or anything, he had to focus on getting out of the jutsu.

Toshi had flown to the side, making sure he wouldn't get in the way. We were close enough to see what the two shinobi's facial expressions were. Deidara seemed to be really struggling. I wanted to help, but I couldn't. Kakashi seemed to be frustrated. He probably can't get a good aim. The leaf shinobi soon turned his gaze away from Deidara, stopping the jutsu. I sighed in relief, but I knew it wasn't over.

This time Kakashi had hit Deidara's right arm and it was be sucked into oblivion. I told him his arm was going to be ripped off. Soon Deidara's arm was ripped off and now he had no arms. Kakashi had thankfully missed, though he still inflicted a lot of damage on Deidara.

I look towards Kakashi to make sure he wasn't going to try anything else. The Mangekyo Sharingan takes up a lot of chakra and I'm sure Kakashi wont be able to fully handle it's power to use it again, but I was wrong. Kakashi was thinking of trying again.

"Deidara, Look out!" I warn the blonde. He already seemed aware of what Kakashi was going to do. Deidara tried changing course, but Kakashi had just followed him. It will be hard to shake him.

The jutsu was getting weak, but still had Deidara in its grasp. Though Deidara seemed to remember how I got out of the way and had dropped from the sky.

"Toshi, go back. I wont be needing you any longer," I tell the bat.

"Are you sure? I mean Deidara is still in the air, I can catch up with him," said Toshi. I shook my head.

"No, it's alright. Thanks for helping. You can go now, you don't have to land," I say. Toshi nodded and then disappeared in a poof of smoke. I landed on a thick tree branch, not far from where Kakashi was. Though when I landed, I lost my footing and stumbled a bit. Crap! If I were fighting I would have been caught. I was never very grateful when jumping through trees.

I felt Naruto's mind and realized why he wasn't following us. It was a surprise attack. I could see what was happening and saw Naruto use the Rasengan. Luckily, Deidara jumped out of the way in time and had fallen into the forest. The boy then used a Shadow clone jutsu, so he could catch the clay's bird's head, which had Gaara inside. They had started to dig at the clay, trying to get Gaara out. I looked at Kakashi and saw that he was completely exhausted.

I located where Deidara was and he seemed all right, but we're going to have find his arms or something and sew them back on. That'll be fun…

Anyway, I kept my distance from the others, just in case Naruto decided to attack me. I wasn't too worried about Kakashi since he could barely stand. Though I really wanted to go over to Deidara and see if he was all right, but I can't risk being seen. I know!

Making the correct hand signs, I conjured up a Sound clone. This way I can send the clone to go see if Deidara needs any help and if the clone gets attacked, an ear splitting sound will be heard and temperately deafen the ninja.

The clone appeared beside Deidara just when Naruto and his clones uncovered Gaara. Naruto tried to wake him, but it was no use.

"You'll pay for this," growled the nine-tails. The boy was losing control again and was letting his anger take over.

"Yeah, Yeah. Maybe someday I'll give you a rematch kid," said Deidara. My eyes widen at what came up behind Deidara.

"Deidara, behind you!" I warned. The stupid bomber let down his guard. Behind Deidara was Naruto about to punch him. Naruto punched Deidara so hard he mad blood spill. My clone was soon hit as well and the deafening sound filled the air. Though it didn't seem to affect Naruto. The boy was so blinded by anger, that the sound bursting his eardrums didn't bother him.

I looked at Kakashi to see how the sound affected him. He had his hands to his ears, but slowly dropped them down when the sound stopped and then looked at me.

"You gave away your hiding place," stated Kakashi as I felt cold metal press up against my neck. Kakashi had appeared behind me with a kunai pressed against my neck. Damn it!

Wait! Kakashi's too exhausted to be able to move, so how is he standing behind me standing perfectly fine. Of course.

"Sorry Kakashi, but you can't catch me that easily," I smirked and jabbed my elbows as hard as I could into the clone's gut. Kakashi looked at me in frustration when his clone disappeared. I jumped to a branch farther away from Kakashi, just if I have to get away quickly.

Suddenly, Naruto's thoughts changed. Looking down at the scene. I see clay where Deidara once laid and Naruto sitting there with what looked like red bubbles coming out of him. The nine-tails must be coming out. Great…

"So that's the nine-tails, huh? Didn't expect bubbles to be coming out of him. Thought maybe he'd grow fuzzy fox ears and tails, but guess I was wrong," I said to myself, not like anyone would respond anyway.

I jump down to where Deidara was hiding under a bush, but I was still hidden. He was more shocked then I was at the nine-tails' new appearance. The nine-tails then hit the ground in anger and this caused the ground to shake and crumble. Remind me to never be in his way when he's mad, I don't want to end up like the ground.

A second tail then appeared on Naruto and his shadow clones seemed affected by it. I tried to go into Naruto's mind to see what was happening, but I was rudely pushed out. The nine-tails doesn't seem like he wants any visitors. I tried again, but that was a mistake.

Once I got into his mind it felt like my eyes were burning. The burning then expanded to my own mind. It hurt so much, I had to get out. I clutched my head and fell to my knees as I pulled out of the nine-tail's mind. That thing's chakra is too strong.

The pain wasn't dulling. I was on the ground, clutching my head and almost started to scream in pain. I tried to get into Deidara's mind to see if I was hit with normal chakra I'd be fine, but that wasn't the case. When I entered Deidara's mind the pain did dull, but it was still there. Then I tried to read his mind, but I couldn't figure out any of the words, they all blurred together.

When I pulled out, the pain was just a headache, but my vision was still the same and was getting worst. Everything was blurred and I can barely make anything out. What's happening?

Is it because of the nine-tails' chakra? It must be, I've never had this problem. Well it happened once before, but that was when I was over tired and… Wait.

The last time this happened I was over tired since I had only slept 8 hours the entire week and I was trying to read a jinuriki's mind, don't ask me what one 'cause I have no clue. This jinuriki had lost a bit of control and its chakra levels were so high. I fainted because of the pain. Though that jinuriki's chakra didn't come close to this. Oh no. This is really bad.

Though before I could think of anything, I blacked out. The last thing I remember seeing were Kakashi's concerned eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it. Please review. Thanks and Bye bye! <strong>


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello! Chapter 5 is now here. I would like to thank my new beta . Go check out her story, it's great! Also thanks to all my reader, reviewers and so on. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Naruto or it's characters :( I do however own Lark, Jiro and Mika :)**

* * *

><p>All my senses had gone numb. I couldn't see, hear, feel, taste or smell anything. For sometime, I thought I was dead. It wouldn't be a surprise though. I passed out in front of the enemy; they could've done what ever they wanted. Though I could have died of insomnia. Messing up my sleep time, stupid insomnia. Oh well, at least I'm sleeping now, right? Wrong.<p>

My hearing starts to come back and I can hear faint murmurs. There are people here with me. If only I could figure out whom, then I could decide to either freak out on some Leaf ninja or freak out at some Akatsuki members.

Finally all my senses were coming back. The murmurs got a bit louder, but I still couldn't figure out whom the voices belonged to. Their scents didn't seem familiar and it's not like I could feel or taste them. If only my damn eyes would open, then I'd be happy. Well, until that happens, lets see if my limbs work.

I started with my legs. They seemed fine. Then I moved my arms and hands. They were fine as well. If I can move them this well, I'm guessing I wasn't captured. Though, if I was then my captors were taking a big risk from not tying me up.

The murmurs had stopped the moment I had started to move. So now they're aware I'm awake. That's good or bad, which ever. Footsteps were soon heard and they were coming right towards me. Thankfully, my eyes decided to open as soon as the footsteps stopped.

Looking around, I noticed that I was in a building. Not one I was familiar with, might I add. I sat up to get a better look around the room and noticed three people in the room with me. None of them looked familiar. Shit! I had been fucking caught. Let this be a lesson. Never pass out in battle.

"Why hello there. Who might you be?" I asked. The three people glared at me, or at least I think the third person did. He had a mask on, but I'm pretty sure he was glaring.

"We should be asking you that question," said the blonde women. Holy Crap! She had a big chest. Forgetting about that… I smiled at her, not fazed at all by her glare.

"I'm surprised you don't know. I thought members of the Mayumi clan were easy to pick out," I told the lady. Her eyes went to shock, but back to a glare soon after.

"You're a Mayumi. I thought they'd all died," said the lady. I shook my head in response. Didn't she know anything about me? I'm from the damn Leaf village and Kakashi or someone from his team should have filled her in on some details.

"Well, you thought wrong. You see the last Mayumi, that's me, went M.I.A eight years ago. I was never declared dead," I explained. Nothing was said for a moment, so I decided to stand up. Though as soon as I had both feet on the ground, the ANBU member that was in the room was right behind me.

"So you're Mayumi Lark. Don't think you're going to escape so easily. ANBU has the entire building surrounded," the lady told me. I still don't know her name and I don't think reading her mind would be a good idea. Not with what had happened when I read the nine-tails' mind. Wait. How long had I been out? If I were in the Leaf village, which I was positive I was, the trip from the Sand would have been 3 days. Was I really out for that long?

"Oh, well I wasn't really planning on escaping just yet. Just a couple of quick questions. How long have I been out? And, who are you?" I asked. Again, nothing was said for a moment, but I eventually got my answer.

"I'm Tsunade. Hokage of the Leaf village. You've been out for almost a week," answered Tsunade. A week, huh? Mika and Jiro must be worried sick about me. They probably won't come to rescue me though. We agreed that if anyone of us were captured, we leave them and keep running. Now that I think more about it, that's a really stupid plan. We must have been drunk when we thought about it and were just too lazy to think up a new plan. Damn our laziness.

"If I've been out for a week, you guys should have gotten a lot of information out of me. What did you do, get a mind reader to read my mind?" I sarcastically asked. I knew for sure that they couldn't read my mind. No normal mind reader would be able to read the mind of somebody you was born a mind reader.

Tsunade just kept glaring at me and whispered something to her assistant. Her assistant then scurried out of the room, leaving Tsunade, the ANBU member and I. Now getting a closer look at the room, I see that it's one of those interrogation rooms. Guess I'd be here for a while.

"I'm going to ask you some questions Lark," stated Tsunade. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Really? I thought we were going to have a tea party," I said sarcastically. Tsunade didn't seem too happy with my response and slammed her hands down on the table she stood behind. The poor table cracked due to the force Tsunade put on it. I started to laugh.

"Do you think this is funny?" exclaimed Tsunade. I just kept laughing, but I was still able to answer.

"Yes actually. It's funny that you guys actually think you're going to get any info out of me," I answer. My laughing soon quieted down after awhile and that's when Tsunade started to ask a whole bunch of questions. Most of it was about the Akatsuki, but there were a few personal questions.

"I'm not going to tell you anything. I will never sell out my comrades, no matter what you do to me. Even your integration expert won't be able to break me," I tell her, glancing at the tall guy named Ibiki who had joined us not too long ago. By now the ANBU member had backed off a bit and was sitting in a chair. Tsunade had gotten really frustrated and had shattered the table completely now.

"We'll get something out of you," said Tsunade. Rolling my eyes for probably the tenth time since I'd opened them, I looked over at Tsunade with a bored look.

"No, you won't. Besides, I wasn't a main part of the Akatsuki anyway," I say. Tsunade looked up at me, probably thinking she finally has me talking.

"Then what did you do for the Akatsuki and what were you doing with them at their sealing?" Asked Tsunade. Sighing, I shake my head in an annoyed manner.

"You really think I'm going to tell you. Like I said before; I'm not going to tell you anything," I replied. Tsunade sighed in defeat and frustration.

"Ibiki! You try to get something out of her," Tsunade instructed Ibiki while she left the room. The guy nodded and came to stand in front of me.

"Let's get you talking," said Ibiki. I rolled my eyes again and looked the man straight in the eyes.

"I'd like to see you try," I said.

(Don't actually know how Ibiki interrogates people, so I'll leave you guessing.)

* * *

><p>After who knows how long, Ibiki finally gave up. The guy had tried everything, but I wouldn't crack. These stupid mind tricks wouldn't work on me.<p>

"Leaving so soon?" I asked Ibiki as he exited the room. He turned back and glared at me before turning around and leaving. A lot of people are glaring at me today. Not too long ago, I figured out that no harm had come to my mind and so I started to use my Kokoro no ressun. Though, I didn't get much. Anyone who was in the building was highly trained and was probably blocking their mind with genjutsu. I could have easily gotten past the blocks, but I was just too lazy and it's not like I can give the info to anyone while I'm stuck in here.

Suddenly, the door opened and in came Tsunade. She didn't look any happier than before, but who could blame her. There was an Akatsuki member who had been caught and she won't answer anything. That would piss me off too.

"Listen here. Just because we can't get anything out of you, doesn't mean you're home free," said the angry blonde. I smirked.

"Are you going to kill me then? I mean I'm giving you nothing and I'm a dangerous criminal who came from your village. What else can you do?" I asked. I know for sure that they're not going to let me skip out of the village with a smile on my face. Even if they did let me go, they'd track me some how. So why shouldn't they kill me? I serve no purpose for them.

"We're not going to kill you," stated Tsunade. Tilting my head to the side, I give the Hokage a confused look.

"Then what are you going to do? Imprisoning me won't do you any good," I said. If they imprisoned me I could easily get out. What are they planning?

"We're not imprisoning you either. We have something else for you," answered Tsunade. My eyes narrowed. What else could they do? Send me to a different village?

"Mind telling me what you have planned for me?" I asked. Tsunade smirked at my question. Does that mean that it's more torture? Why is she smirking, she should be angry and glaring at me.

"We're going to let you stay in the village as a Leaf shinobi," Answered the Hokage. I stare at her dumbfounded. What was she smoking? Let me stay in the village where I could easily kill people and leave? There had to be a catch.

"Of course, you'll have a highly skilled shinobi with you at all times. You won't be able to leave the village, unless the shinobi assigned to you has to go on a mission," continued Tsunade.

"Well that sort of defeats the purpose of keeping me in the village. I could kill the team and leave freely," I said. I mean come on. Isn't the Hokage supposed to be a really smart person?

"You won't be doing that. We'll suppress your chakra just enough so you wont die. You'll also have a tracking device on you, so even if you do escape, we'll know where you are," answered Tsunade. I huffed in frustration. If my chakra is suppressed then I can't use my genjutsu or ninjutsu and I'll only be able to use the basics of my Kokoro no ressun. So I'll basically be only able to use taijutsu. Great, 'cause you know I love taijutsu.

"Fine. I guess it's better than being killed. Who's going to be my babysitter?" I say. Tsunade seemed happy that she'd gotten me frustrated and was smiling like she just made a little kid cry.

"I'll introduce you two now. Shizune! Bring in Kakashi," instructed the blonde. A woman with shoulder-length black hair nodded and left the room. Kakashi? Kakashi was going to be the one to guard me? I would have thought they'd stick an ANBU member on me. Then again, Kakashi was at ANBU level. Soon enough, in strode Shizune, followed by Kakashi.

"Glad to see you're better Kakashi. I'm sure you've been informed about your assignment?" asked Tsunade. Kakashi looked towards me, then back towards Tsunade.

"I have, but I'm still not fully aware of the point of the assignment," said Kakashi as he scratched the back of his head. Tsunade sighed and began to explain his assignment.

"You'll be watching over Lark and make sure she doesn't find away to contact the Akatsuki. Lark is a very skilled kunoichi and she could be helpful, but she can't be trusted to walk around by herself," explained Tsunade. That didn't make any sense.

"How will I be helpful if you suppress my chakra? Besides, I could just stand there and not do anything," I pointed out.

"I've looked at your file from when you were still with the village. It said that you were very skilled in genjutsu and ninjutsu. Even though your taijutsu wasn't as impressive, it was still very good. I also know that you can't give up a fight. So we won't have to worry about you not doing anything," said Tsunade. I huffed and looked away from the woman. This wasn't fair. Why couldn't they just kill me? Then they don't have to worry about me.

Tsunade had explained some more things to Kakashi, but I wasn't listening. I was trying to connect with Jiro through our mind bond.

"_Jiro? Are you there?"_ I asked.

"_Lark! What happened? Deidara said something about you passing out," _replied a panicked Jiro.

"_Well I did pass out, and the Leaf guys caught me. Right now I'm with the Hokage and Kakashi. They're planning to keep me in the village," _I said.

"_We'll come and get you,"_ said Jiro.

"_Oh no, you won't. Forget about me and just keep going on with your regular lives," _I told him.

"_But-,"_ started Jiro.

"_No buts. You and Mika will continue on in the Akutsuki and forget about me. Tell everyone that I was going to be killed if you want. That way no one will come after me," _I said. I could tell that Jiro didn't want to do it, but he knew he would never disobey me. Jiro was the type of guy that would do anything for his friends.

"_Ok. Take care, Lark. Hope we see each other again,"_ said a depressed Jiro.

"_I'll make sure of it. See ya,"_ I said and then cut off the bond. I knew it was the right thing to do. If Jiro and Mika came to get me, some bad things would happen and I don't want them killed. I sighed and looked up. Both Kakashi and Tsunade were looking at me.

"What?" I ask. They didn't answer and just turned away. Tsunade soon sent us on our way, but not before she had Kakashi suppress my chakra.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple hours since we left the interrogation building and will we were leaving I had gotten a lot of dirty looks. Though, now we were in Kakashi's apartment and were sitting across from each other. Nothing was said; we just sat there in silence. The silence was getting annoying though, so I decided to start up a conversation.<p>

"So Kakashi. What have you been up to lately?" I asked the masked ninja. Kakashi said nothing and turned to look out the window. I scowled, not happy with his response. Again, there was silence, until Kakashi broke it.

"Why did you leave?" whispered Kakashi. I could barely hear him and had to lean closer.

"What?" I asked. Kakashi looked from the window to me.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, louder this time. I tilted my head.

"I don't understand," I said slightly confused. Kakashi clutched his fists a bit at my reply.

"It's not hard to understand Lark. Why didn't you come back to the village?" said Kakashi. I stared at him for a moment, thinking of an answer. Why didn't I come back? It's not like I really wanted to be in the Akatsuki. Though, Mika wanted to join the Akatsuki and I didn't want to leave my friend. Guess that's why.

"I didn't want to leave Mika with them. She wanted to join, not me," I answered. Then I realized that I just told him about a member of the Akatsuki. Stupid Lark! Oh well, Mika isn't a main part of the Akatsuki either; she's just a spy.

"Mika's alive? We thought she was killed on the mission you went missing on," said Kakashi. I shook my head.

"No, Mika wasn't killed, she just lost a lot of blood," I said. Kakashi nodded his head.

"Is Jiro part of the Akatsuki too?" asked Kakashi. I shouldn't be telling him this stuff. Why is it that now that I'm alone with Kakashi, I want to tell him about my part in the Akatsuki? I'll never fully understand how my mind works.

"Yes, Jiro is apart of the Akatsuki. But don't go telling anyone about this or I'll kill you," I told Kakashi.

"How do you know that this place isn't bugged?" questioned Kakashi. I smiled a bit and looked Kakashi straight in the eyes.

"I know it's not bugged. Did you think those genjutsu mind blocks would stop me forever?" I tell Kakashi. He said nothing and got up off his chair. I watched him as he went in a room and came out with a pair of clothes.

"Here. You can sleep in these for now. Tomorrow will go shopping for you. You can't stay in that Akatsuki cloak of yours when you're here," said Kakashi as he handed me a baggy t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts.

"Why are you being nice? Shouldn't you be cursing at me, giving me dirty looks and ignoring me?" I asked, taking the clothes Kakashi had handed me. Kakashi looked down.

"I should, but I wont. You were and still are a close friend of mine. Until you prove me otherwise, I'll be kind to you," he answered. I stare up at him with curious eyes. This wasn't the Kakashi I remembered. The Kakashi I knew always did every thing the shinobi way, and the shinobi way doesn't say 'be kind to criminals.' Maybe Kakashi had changed since I last saw him eight years ago.

"You can sleep on the couch for now. Until I can get you a futon, then you can sleep in the spare room," Kakashi said. I nodded my thanks and got up to go to the bathroom, that Kakashi already pointed out to me once we got here.

I entered the bathroom and noticed it's not very big. Though, what do you expect with the salary of a shinobi. I quickly changed out of my Akatsuki outfit and put on the clothes Kakashi gave me. The shirt was rather big on my petite frame; it was like a short dress on me. These clothes were really comfy though, a lot comfier then the clothes I usually wore.

I walk back out to the living room and see that the couch is already made up. Kakashi was nowhere in sight. He must have already gone to bed. Sitting down on the couch, I realize that I'm not tired. Being unconscious for a week must have really screwed up my sleep patterns. Not that I had one anyway. So instead I looked around the living room to find something to do.

After a few seconds of searching, I found a bright orange book sitting on a shelf. I got up to retrieve it and sat down on the chair Kakashi had been sitting in earlier. _Icha Icha Paradise,_ said the book cover. Never heard of it. Wonder what it's about. I flipped to the middle of the book, just to get a feel for it. Though after reading a few lines, my face burned scarlet red.

This was a porn book! Hatake Kakashi was a pervert! I threw the book onto the ground and ran for the couch. Snuggling into the blankets, I tried to forget what I'd just read. It's not like I'm not perverted at times, I just don't understand why people read that sort of thing. If someone wants to get turned on, go hit on someone and fuck him or her. With their permission of course. Rape is wrong.

After about an hour, the book was finally leaving my mind. I guess I was more tired then I'd thought, because I was soon fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please review, they make me happy :) No flames please. Thanks! Bye Bye.<strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello! I know it's been awhile, but I've had MAJOR writers block lately and then I have school (math is to blame -.-) and other things taking up my time. Thank you to everyone who likes the story and I hope this chapter doesn't ruin it for you :P Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters. All I own is Lark, Mika, and Jiro :)**

* * *

><p>"Lark, wake up," said a voice. I mumbled a no and turned away from the person. The person sighed and pushed me. With a loud yelp, I landed on the hard floor with a big thud.<p>

"Owww," I whined as I rubbed my poor back. I searched for the rude person and found Kakashi standing behind the couch with his arms crossed. Glaring, I got up and stared at him.

"What was that for?" I asked. It's not very nice to push people off couches. It hurts and disrupts people when they're sleeping."

"I had to wake you up. We have to get you some new clothes and then we have to meet one of my students," replied Kakashi. He then threw a change of clothes at me. The clothes hit me smack dab in the face.

"Change into these now and then when you have a new outfit you can change, ok?" said Kakashi. I nodded and walked to the bathroom to do my thing.

When I came out of the bathroom I had a white long sleeved shirt and black ninja pants on. Both were too big for me, which made sense, considering they were Kakashi's. I threw the clothes I slept in into the laundry basket and then went to meet Kakashi in the kitchen. There, Kakashi was already waiting for me.

Looking at Kakashi for a second, made me remember the bright orange book from last night. My face started to turn a bit red at the thought. Kakashi gave me a weird look when he noticed my blush.

"What's the matter?" asked the masked ninja. I looked away from Kakashi as my face turned a bit brighter. Though, the blush went back down when I realized I could use this secret to my advantage.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how you're a pervert," I answered. Kakashi eye slightly widened, as he looked me in the eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Stuttered Kakashi. A smirk appeared on my lips. I can't believe I just got Kakashi Hatake to stutter.

"I mean that book. What was it called…" I began, pretending to think of the book's title.

"Oh yeah! Icha-Icha Paradise! I never thought of you as a pervert Kakashi," I said. Kakashi, by now, was beet red; or he would be if I could actually see his face.

"Although, I guess it's to be expected. Since you think you're too good for everyone, you have to have _some_ kind of fun time. Even if it means that you-," Kakashi cut me off.

"Don't finish that sentence. Besides, it's not true, and I don't think I'm better then everyone else," retorted the perverted ninja. I scoffed and tilted my head to the side.

"The Kakashi I remember always thought that. He also thought that the right way was the shinobi way," I replied. Kakashi was no longer embarrassed, he actually seemed a bit angry now.

"Yeah, well, the Lark I remember wouldn't have gone off to join some evil organization. She was actually a good person," growled Kakashi. My eyes widened in shock, but narrowed after a few seconds.

"Well, that Lark is long gone," I said. Kakashi's eyes were narrowed as well as he replied, "so is the old Kakashi," said Kakashi.

Both of us were silent for a few moments, neither of us breaking eye contact the entire time. Though, after a good few minutes, Kakashi sighed and turned away. He reached into his pocket and pulled out, what looked like, a piece of cloth.

"Here," said Kakashi as he threw the object at me. I caught it with my right hand, and looked closely at it. It was a Leaf shinobi headband. Looking up from the object, I opened my mouth to say something when Kakashi started talking first.

"You're going to need that if you're going to be a Leaf shinobi. You can't wear one that has a slash through it," the jounin deadpanned. I smiled as I tied the headband around my left thigh. Kakashi gave weird look when he saw where I tied the headband.

"Aren't you going to put it over your eye?" asked Kakashi. I shook my head as I carefully placed my blonde bangs over my right eye.

"I don't need too. Since I suppressed it, I don't use its full power," I answered. Kakashi nodded in understanding and walked towards the door.

"Let's go get you some clothes. Then you can change into something you actually like," said Kakashi. I nodded eagerly and followed Kakashi out the door.

* * *

><p>It'd been so long since I had last walked the streets of Kohona. The village didn't seem like it had changed all that much since I'd left, though I didn't remember the people being so rude. Almost everyone we passed sent me a weird look or just glared at me until they couldn't see me anymore. I started to feel a little uncomfortable by the time we got to a small clothing store.<p>

While in the clothing store, everyone had stopped what they were doing just to look at me for a few seconds. Even the storeowner looked at me funny.

"Kakashi, why is everyone looking at me?" I whispered to the masked ninja. Kakashi looked up from what ever he was looking at and glanced around the store.

"It's probably because they've never seen you before, or that some of them remember you from eight years ago," answered Kakashi. I sighed and took another glance around before looking at all the nice clothes.

We left the store with a few new outfits, which I picked out. I had realized that Kakashi had no fashion sense whatsoever when he tried to hand me an awful looking pink top. I also decided to get new under garments some other time, sometime when I can send Kakashi to wait outside.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked as we were walking back towards Kakashi's apartment.

"Well, I have to go meet with one of my students for training. It's going to a lot of training; I don't know when we'll finish," answered Kakashi.

"Sounds fun. Who's your student?" I said, but before Kakashi could answer, a man came up to us and he _really_ didn't seem too happy.

"Who do you think you are, walking around here so casually," said the man. The guy looked like he was in his forties and he had graying, short, black hair and dark brown eyes.

"Um… Sorry, but I don't know you," I replied, slightly confused about why the man was talking to me.

"Yeah, well I know you. You're that Mayumi bitch that betrayed the village," replied the man. I gave the man I shocked look.

"I've been M.I.A. and do _not_ call me a bitch," I growled. The man's glare hardened as he began talking again.

"Then why didn't you come back sooner?" asked the man. Before I could say anything, Kakashi answered.

"She was being held hostage… not that it's any of your business," said Kakashi. The man then turned his glare over to Kakashi.

"Then why did I see her over at that bar in between the Fire and Wind country," stated the man. Kakashi hard gaze didn't falter as he continued to stick up for me. Not that he was really _lying_ since I hadn't told him about the club where Mika, Jiro, and I ran.

"If you did see her, then why didn't you inform the Hokage," replied Kakashi. This time the man's glare faltered a bit, so he disregarded Kakashi and turned back to me.

"I know that you betrayed this village, bitch, so just go," growled the man. That was _it!_ He called me a bitch _again_ and he was being _very_ rude, _not to mention_ drawing the attention of the villagers.

"No. How 'bout you go and leave us the hell alone? And if you don't, I will physically _force_ you," I threatened. The man's glare dropped at my frightening gaze and took a few steps back. Kakashi grabbed my arm upon hearing my threat, and dragged me away.

Once we were a good distance away from the rude man, Kakashi let go of me and continued to walk. Kakashi was silent all the way back to the apartment and I wasn't like I was going to say anything; I was too busy cursing that man into the fiery pits of hell. Though, as soon as we got into Kakashi's apartment, and I had set my bags down, the jounin turned to me looking slightly annoyed.

"You can't threaten people like that, Lark, or you'll get thrown into prison," stated Kakashi. I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.

"That guy was asking for it. He was acting like a complete asshole," I replied. Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"I'll let it go this once, but don't let it happen again. You're lucky enough that the Hokage didn't imprison you, so don't mess things up for yourself," said Kakashi. I nodded in response as Kakashi began to chuckle a bit.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I'm just glad your temper hasn't changed in the past eight years," chuckled Kakashi. I smiled and picked up the bags that held my new clothes.

"Oh it's changed, alright. Just wait and you'll see how bad it's gotten," I said as I walked towards the bathroom. I didn't know if Kakashi replied or not, but if he did he must have whispered it just low enough that I couldn't hear.

It didn't take me long to change into the new clothes. I pulled on black pants, gloves, knee high boots and a jacket, a purple tank top and my leaf headband tied around my waist. When I exited the bathroom and wandered into the living room, I saw Kakashi lounging on his armchair, reading his porn.

"I don't understand why you read that garbage. It's disgusting," I said getting the perverted jounin's attention.

"It's not garbage. It's a wonderful book," defended Kakashi as he put the orange book into his pocket.

"Yeah, for perverts," I said, making Kakashi shake his head.

"Let's just go," said Kakashi as he got up and headed for the door. I scoffed a bit at how Kakashi changed the topic.

"Who's your student anyway? That asshole interrupted last time," I asked as we were walking towards the training grounds.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Kakashi said bluntly. My eyes widened a bit in surprise. We were going to see the nine-tails? This wasn't going to be good.

"You know, maybe I'll sit this one out. With my chakra suppressed and everything, I just won't be much help," I said rather quickly. Kakashi shook his head and looked right at me.

"Are you afraid of Naruto?" asked Kakashi. I quickly shook my head.

"Of course not, but I'm just a bit scared that the kid's going the beat the shit out of me for being apart of the Akatsuki," I answered. Kakashi laughed for a second at me nervousness.

"Oh don't worry, I'll make sure he won't do anything. All you have to do is buy him ramen, and he'll be your best friend," Kakashi told me. I gave a confused look.

"Ramen? Really?" I questioned. Kakashi nodded.

"Yep, that kid sure loves ramen. I bet he'd do anything if ramen was involved," replied Kakashi.

"Good to know. Now I won't get pummeled," I said.

We kept on walking until we reached a huge clearing. In the center of the clearing, stood a bright orange figure. I instantly knew it was Naruto, mostly because he's the only ninja stupid enough to wear an orange outfit.

As we got closer to the boy, I could see that he had a smile when he saw Kakashi, but it disappeared when he saw that his sensei had company.

"What's she doing here?" growled Naruto. I just smiled towards the boy, trying to give a friendly greeting.

"Well, hello to you too. It's nice to see you again," I greeted. Naruto didn't seem pleased as he continued to glare daggers at me.

"Tsunade-sama ordered that I watched over Lark," Kakashi told his student. This didn't seem to help the kid's temper at all; he just glared harder.

"She should be dead for what she did to Gaara!" exclaimed the angry blond. I put my hands up in defense, silently hoping that Naruto wouldn't attack me.

"It's the Hokage's orders. If you have a problem with it, go talk to her," said Kakashi. Naruto just huffed and looked away from me.

"I can't do anything, if it makes you feel better. My chakra's suppressed," I said. Naruto glanced at me from the corner of his eye, still not happy that I was there.

"I'll tell you what. How 'bout I let you hit me as pay back for hurting Gaara, then I might also take you out for ramen," I said. I was hoping that my offer would cheer the boy up, I would hate for him to be glaring at me every time we saw each other.

"Fine," agreed Naruto. Geez, that was fast. I was sure it would take a bit more convincing.

Before I could respond, I had the wind knocked right out of me. Naruto had punched me straight in the gut with a very powerful punch. I'm thankful he didn't punch me in the face or I would have lost some teeth.

"Ever hurt my friends again, and I'll kill you," said Naruto. I had fallen to my knee because of the pain, so I had to look up at the blond.

"Don't worry…. I wouldn't…. Dream of it…" I choked out. That kid really had a good punch; it was taking forever to get my breath back.

"Don't you think you hit her a bit hard, Naruto?" questioned Kakashi as he knelt beside my gasping form.

"Nah. She deserved it," replied Naruto. Kakashi shook his head as he helped me up off my knees.

"I know, but-," began Kakashi.

"It's fine Kakashi. I really did deserve it," I said, finally gaining my breath. I smiled towards Naruto, who smiled back at me. Guess he doesn't hate me as much now.

"Okay, now that _that's_ settled. Let's start your training," said Kakashi. Naruto's smile widened.

"ALRIGHT!" yelled an excited Naruto. I couldn't help but smile at the boy. He was so eager. If only the Akutsuki weren't targeting him; then the boy could have a normal life. Or as normal as a shinobi's life can get.

"What are you guys training for anyway?" I asked. Kakashi looked over at me.

"We're going to try to come up with a jutsu that will surpass the Rasengan," answered the silver haired jounin. Naruto and I both gave him a shocked expression.

"Surpass the Rasengan! That jutsu's hard enough to learn as it is!" I exclaimed. Naruto nodded in agreement.

"It will be easier once Naruto masters two techniques: how to change your chakra's nature, and how to change your chakra's form," said Kakashi. I shook my head with disbelief. It almost took forever to learn it myself, and I was good with chakra control.

"I know, but it doesn't seem possible," I said shaking my head. Kakashi sighed as Naruto looked between us with a confused expression.

"Remember when you came up with your black lightning jutsu? Well, it will basically be the same thing," said Kakashi. I still wasn't buying it, but I let it go. This was Kakashi's student, so he can do what he wants.

"Fine. Good thing the kid already knows those techniques," I said looking towards Naruto. The blond still had a confused look on his face.

"How to change my chakra's nature and how to change it's form?" questioned the boy. I looked at him, dumbfounded. This kid's a _ninja_ and he doesn't even know about that stuff? That's sad. Really sad.

"You mean you don't know that stuff?" I questioned. Naruto shook his head and looked away from me, a little red with embarassment.

"I don't really think I can help with this training," I said as I turned to Kakashi. The masked ninja nodded agreeably.

"I think you're right," replied Kakashi.

"Wait. Why can't she?" Asked Naruto. I rolled my eyes and sighed. This kid doesn't have a good memory.

"My chakra's suppressed. So, since this is a chakra lesson, I can't help. Besides, I suck at explaining things," I answered. Naruto nodded in understanding.

"How about you go sit under that tree, Lark? You'll be out of the way," suggested Kakashi. I sighed as I nodded.

Even while sitting in the tree's shade, I could still see the two shinobi perfectly. Though, after awhile of watching Kakashi trying to explain chakra to Naruto, I started to get a bit bored. I leaned back against the tree and found it more comfortable than I'd quessed.. Closing my eyes slowly, I began to doze off.

* * *

><p><strong>Did you guys like it? Please review! Thank you! Bye Bye<strong>


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey! Here's the next chapter :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters. I only own Lark, Mika, Jiro and Hantā.**

* * *

><p>I started to hear a voice not long after I fell asleep. The voice wasn't Kakashi's, or Naruto's, but it did sound familiar.<p>

_"Lark? Are you listening?"_ it asked. I still couldn't place a face on the voice.

_"I'm listening. Who are you?" _I asked in return. The voice chuckled at my response.

_"I didn't think you would forget me after such a short time,"_ said the voice. I realized who it was suddenly.

_"Itachi!" _I exclaimed. Itachi chuckled at my belated realization.

_"What are you doing? How are you talking to me?"_ I questioned. I shouldn't have been able to have psychic conversations while my chakra was suppressed.

_"Well we do have that bond, if you remember,"_ stated the Uchiha. I huffed in annoyance.

_"I know we have a bond. I meant you can't be talking to me; I have no chakra," _I told him. Again, the Uchiha chuckled at me.

_"And here I thought you had your __Kokoro no ressun all figured out,"_ teased Itachi. I crossed my arms in annoyance.

_"I _do_ have it figured out!"_ I stated. _"It's just hard to know everything when your family's dead,"_ I muttered quickly after. Itachi sighed at my claim, as if he didn't believe my statement.

_"Since you have it figured out, then you should know that you can use your bonds while sleeping. This conversation doesn't need chakra from you since I was the one who started the talking,"_ explained Itachi. I nodded in understanding, when a thought hit me.

_"So I'm not awake. I'm still asleep,"_ I mumbled.

_"That's right,"_ replied Itachi. It was silent for a few seconds before I started to speak.

_"Why are you talking to me, anyway? I told Jiro to tell everyone I was killed,"_ I asked. Jiro never would have disobeyed me, so Itachi must have pestered the real answer out of him.

_"I wanted to tell you that Sasori was killed,"_ answered the raven-haired man. My mind froze for a moment, not being able to respond to Itachi for a few moments.

_"Sasori died! How?"_ I exclaimed after I found my voice. It couldn't be true. Sasori was one of the strongest shinobi I knew and I knew him to be basically immortal.

_"Sakura Haruno and Lady Chiyo killed him,"_ stated Itachi. I was shocked.

_"That pink haired brat and an old lady beat him? That's impossible,"_ I whispered to myself. Itachi didn't say anything as he let the new information sink in.

_"I hate to leave after giving you bad news, but…"_ Itachi began. I smiled towards the Uchiha's voice.

_"You have to go. I should probably wake up anyway," _I sighed. Itachi didn't say anything before I felt the connection break. The meanie didn't even say goodbye! How rude.

Before I could even wake myself up, someone was shaking me awake. The person was also saying my name, but I was still trying to wake up my senses. Soon though, I was able to hear my surroundings. My eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal Kakashi crouching down in front of me, trying to wake me up.

"Good, you're awake," muttered the silver haired jounin. Stretching my arms, I smiled up at Kakashi as a small greeting.

"Why, hello. Are you done training?" I yawned, still a bit tired from my nap. Kakashi shook his head in reply.

"No. I just want you to meet someone," smirked Kakashi who was a bit amused by my tired state.

"Couldn't that wait? I've actually been getting sleep for the past few days," I whined. My insomnia hadn't been really affecting me for some reason. Probably because I had no chakra, but I didn't really care if I was getting sleep.

"You'll be able to sleep later. So, come on," said Kakashi. I groaned in protest, but got up anyway. I looked up at the tree I was under and noticed that all the leaves were gone.

"Where did all the leaves go?" I asked. I could have sworn there were leaves before I'd gone to sleep.

"Naruto's using them for his training," answered Kakashi. I gave a confused look making the masked jounin sigh.

"He's trying to tear the leaves in half to see if he can control his chakra," explained Kakashi.

"Oh. So then the kid figured it out, but why does he need all those leaves?" I questioned, still slightly confused.

"Look for yourself," chuckled Kakashi. I looked from Kakashi to where Naruto was and the scene shocked me.

"Holy crap! That's a lot of Shadow Clones," I exclaimed. There had to be almost two hundred clones.

"Yeah, Naruto can make a lot of Shadow Clones," informed Kakashi. I gave a small glare at the jounin.

"I can see that!" I snapped at the silver haired man. Kakashi just laughed as he walked up towards a brown hair man.

"Yamato, this is Lark. She'll be working with me for awhile," introduced Kakashi. The man seemed to be concentrating really hard, so he just sent me a quick glance.

"Lady Tsunade already told me about her. It's good to meet you Lark," greeted Yamato. I gave the man a small smile in return. I felt that I shouldn't distract him from whatever he was doing.

"What's he doing? He seems to be focusing on something," I asked Kakashi. By now Kakashi had pulled out his _Icha Icha Paradise_, so it took him a few seconds to respond.

"Oh. Well, Yamato is a wood user with the DNA of the first Hokage, so he can control the nine-tails' chakra," answered Kakashi, who then returned to his book calmly.

"Ok then…" I mumbled. I really didn't see the reason for Kakashi waking me up. It wouldn't have killed him to introduce me to Yamato later. I was just awkwardly standing there.

After about half an hour had passed, Naruto hadn't torn a leaf yet. You would think it would be easy, but I guess if you'd just figured out what nature type you had then it would be somewhat difficult. Yawning, I plopped myself down right beside Kakashi.

"Kakashi, I'm bored," I whined. The masked ninja didn't even look at me when I spoke.

"What do you want me to do?" asked Kakashi. I thought for a minute before I said anything.

"I don't know… How bout you talk to me instead of reading that book," I replied snarkily. At a closer distance, I realized that the book Kakashi was reading wasn't that orange one, but a blue one instead. Though, looking even closer at the cover, I could see that it was the same author and it even said it was part of the _Icha Icha Paradise_ series.

"Now why would I do that? It's a really good book and I just got it," questioned the jounin. I rolled my eyes and looked back at the crowd of Naruto clones.

I had to admit, I was somewhat jealous of the blonde idiot. It would be nice to have all that chakra to spare. Then maybe I wouldn't be so tired after using my kekkei genkai. Though it must be really hard to control all that chakra, especially when it's technically not yours to begin with. Suddenly, one of the clones broke away from the crowd and came over to Kakashi and I.

"Kakashi-sensei, is there any one else in the Leaf village that has a wind chakra nature like me?" Asked Naruto. Kakashi thought for a moment, as did I. When I was living in the village I remembered that someone I knew had a wind nature, but I couldn't figure out whom.

"Well there is one person I can think of…" began Kakashi. An eager look appeared on Naruto's face.

"Knowing him, he's probably playing shogi right now," finished Kakashi. I looked up at the silver haired jounin with an annoyed look.

"Well are you going to tell the kid who it is or not?" I asked. Kakashi looked down at me for a second and went back at Naruto.

"Try asking Asuma," answered Kakashi. Naruto showed a bit of confusion for a second, but quickly smiled and ran off, thanking Kakashi before he left.

"Oh yeah… I forgot about Asuma," I realized. I'd been gone for so long, I forgot that I had met Asuma Sarutobi at one point.

"No wonder. You've been gone for eight years," murmured Kakashi. I sent the jounin a quick glare.

"You don't have to make me feel bad. I'm perfectly aware that I've been gone for a while," I hissed. Kakashi just lightly shook his head and continued to read, leaving me with no one to talk to—again.

* * *

><p>Since I had no one to talk with, I resorted to drawing in the dirt. There weren't any sticks or anything lying around, so I reached up towards Kakashi's weapon pouch. I was going to use a kunai to draw with, but I wasn't trusted enough yet to carry any.<p>

Very slowly, I opened Kakashi's pouch—so far he hadn't realized what I was doing. Just as I was about to grasp onto a kunai, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.

"What are you doing?" questioned Kakashi as he yanked me up by my wrist.

"I was just grabbing a kunai to draw with," I answered. Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly as he looked directly into my uncovered one.

"Oh, really?" Asked Kakashi. He still had a tight grip on my wrist and it was starting to hurt. I tried to pry his fingers off, but had no success.

"Yes, really. Let me go!" I snapped. Kakashi didn't move a muscle. I was starting to get annoyed with the silver haired man by this point, and tried yanking my hand away. This wasn't the proper way to get away from someone and I easily could have gotten myself out of this, but having no chakra made me a lot weaker then I actually was.

"Kakashi, let me go!" I exclaimed. Kakashi still hadn't loosened his grip and he was still staring at me. Though now, Kakashi's face was moving closer to mine. He still had an intense gaze and in all honesty, I was beginning to get a bit frightened.

"Kakashi please, let me go. You're hurting me," I pled, my voice coming out with a hint of fear. The sound of my voice must have snapped Kakashi out of his little trance, because soon after, his eye softened and he dropped my wrist.

I softly rubbed my sore wrist, knowing for certain that there were going to be bruises. Kakashi had turned away from me and was staring at the group of Naruto clones, trying not to look at me. Knowing that it was my fault that this little incident happened, I figured I should say something.

"I'm sorry Kakashi. I should've known you would have freaked out if you saw me reaching for a kunai," I apologized. Though, Kakashi still didn't say anything. "You're still just as strong as I remember though. Applied any more pressure and you could've broken my wrist," I giggled. Kakashi turned to me with a cold look in his eye.

"Just don't try that again," he growled. It wasn't a threatening growl, but more of an annoyed one. As he said this, he threw me a kunai that I let drop to the ground. Looking from the kunai to Kakashi, I saw the jounin had gone back to ignoring me, book in hand. I looked over at the wood style jounin and saw him staring at us out of the corner of his eye. Though when he realized he had been caught, he quickly turned his gaze back towards the Naruto clones. Sighing, I once again sat down and began drawing in the dirt with the kunai.

* * *

><p>While I was doodling, Naruto began to use the tips Asuma had given him. I wasn't interested in watching the kid, so I just continued to draw. Kakashi must have come up behind me at some point, because before I realized, there was a shadow covering my terrific drawing.<p>

"I think you should stick to singing Lark," chuckled Kakashi. He must have forgotten about the little scene that happened a while ago.

"What do you mean? This is a beautiful picture," I boasted, proud of my piece of art. I had drawn Kiki, one of my smaller bat summons, and _I_ thought I did a pretty good job.

"What is it? A rat?" questioned Kakashi. I glared up at the masked ninja.

"It's a bat," I stated, a bit annoyed that Kakashi called it a rat.

"Oh, _I'm_ _sorry_. A rat with wings," chuckled Kakashi. My eyes went wide for a second as I gasped in shock.

"That's mean Kakashi! How _dare_ you call Kiki a rat!" I exclaimed. Kakashi was finding my reaction amusing I assume, since he was laughing.

"It's because she is. All your summons look like rats," Kakashi shrugged. I turned away from Kakashi with a huff, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You never did like my bats, and I can see that you still have the same feelings towards them," I sniffed. Kakashi was still laughing at me, and I found it quite rude.

"It's rude to laugh at people y'know," I snapped. That only made Kakashi laugh more, so I ignored him. He had been ignoring me up to this point, so I figured it was my turn to ignore him.

Kakashi didn't seem to mind that I was ignoring him, but eventually he stopped laughing. Though, he was probably still laughing on the inside. Instead of paying any more attention to me, the jounin turned to the crowd of Narutos.

"Now break the jutsu and reflect on the exercise," Kakashi told Naruto. The blonde nodded and released his jutsu. All the clones disappeared in a puff of smoke and left the real Naruto standing in the center. As soon as the jutsu was broken, I heard Yamato sigh in relief.

"Tired?" I asked the brown-haired jounin. Yamato glanced over at me a nodded, not really paying attention to me at all. I glanced back at Naruto and saw that he had nearly torn the leaf in half. To me, the kid looked absolutely exhausted and he actually nearly fainted, but Kakashi caught him before he could hit the ground.

I guessed that Kakashi told the kid to take it easy for a moment, but before I knew it Naruto had Shadow Clones surrounding him again. I was pretty amazed at this kid's determination. Never would Mika, Jiro or I be able to keep going like this, but then again… we didn't have a tailed beast sealed inside us.

I frowned slightly at the thought of my old teammates. When we were still apart of Konoha, when we were all still chunin on team Hantā, we had a lot of good times. You would have thought we were a hard-working team, but actually we were a bunch of lazy ass kids; Mika much more then Jiro or me. Our sensei, Hantā, would always get annoyed with us, but it was funny to watch our female sensei spaz out. Though, after a while she didn't really care what we did, as long as we stayed out of trouble and kept being great shinobi.

My thoughts were cut short when I saw a glimpse of pink hair. Looking up, I saw that all the Shadow Clones were gone and that Kakashi was supporting a tired out Naruto. Two other people had also joined them. One of them I didn't know, but the other… I remembered her from the sealing of the one-tailed beast. I growled slightly at the sight of the pink-haired girl, remembering what Itachi had told me, and that she killed Sasori.

"Lark! Come over here!" shouted Kakashi. Slowly, I got up and strolled over to the small group. Sakura sent me a cold glare, which I returned whole-heartedly. She didn't seem to expect that, as she quickly glanced away from me.

"What is it?" I asked Kakashi. The jounin set Naruto gently on the ground and stood up.

"The Hokage wants to see us," answered Kakashi. My eyes widened a bit in shock. Why did the Hokage want us? I hadn't done anything wrong! Then again, I was a criminal that she'd let loose in her village.

"Lets go, then," I said. Kakashi nodded, and waved goodbye to the three teenagers and Yamato. He took the lead and I followed closely behind him. I couldn't help but be a little nervous, but I prepared to see the Hokage.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! Please review! <strong>


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey! Here's Chapter 8! Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I only own Lark, Jiro, Mika any other character that isn't mentioned in the anime or manga.**

* * *

><p>Both Kakashi and I were silent on our way back to the Hokage building. I was silent because I was a bit nervous, but who wouldn't be? I mean, I was a criminal in her village; I could've—should've—been killed at any moment.<p>

Before we entered the building, I stepped in front of Kakashi. The masked jounin stopped in his tracks and gave me a confused look. At first I didn't look at Kakashi, as if I was a shy little girl.

"What is it, Lark?" asked Kakashi. I was silent; I didn't really know why I'd stopped him in the first place. Maybe I was just trying to delay the visit to the Hokage. Though, it might be because the last time I went to the Hokage's office with Kakashi, eight years ago, it wasn't the most pleasant visit and I wouldn't mind forgetting about it.

"Lark? Are you alright?" Kakashi questioned with a hint of concern in his voice. My head snapped up and I looked Kakashi straight in the eye. Again, I was silent, but it didn't last long.

"I'm fine," I giggled, but Kakashi didn't seem to buy it.

"Well, if you're fine, then why did you stop me?" asked Kakashi. I started to play with my fingers, trying to find a reason as to why I stopped him.

"Ummm… Do you know why the Hokage wants us?" I replied.

"That's why you stopped me? You could have just asked while we were walking," stated the masked ninja. Quickly, I looked down and started thinking of something else to say.

"I guess I could have…" I began. Kakashi waited for me to finish, but I never did.

"Are you nervous to be going to the Hokage's office?" accused Kakashi. I didn't look up at the jounin, fearing that if I did, my eyes would betray me.

"No. It's just been _so long_," I mumbled. It turned out, I should have been worried about my voice betraying me, because when I spoke you could hear the nervousness in it.

"Lark. It isn't going to be like the last time we were there together," informed Kakashi. I still didn't look him in the eye.

"I-I know," I stuttered. Kakashi sighed and placed his hand on my head.

"Then don't get so worked up," said Kakashi. He then began to walk into the Hokage's building.

I followed behind him till we reached the double doors of the Hokage's office. As I was about to step forward to open the door, Kakashi stooped down to me. I gave the masked jounin a puzzled look.

"You stay out here for a minute. I need to talk to the Hokage about something first," Kakashi told me. I still had the confused look.

"But she wants to see both of us right? Why can't you talk to her in front of me?" I questioned.

"No reason. While you're out here, you should try and settle your nerves," he answered. My confused gaze turned into a glare as I stuck my tongue out at the silver haired man. Kakashi chuckled and continued to enter the office. I, on the other hand, stood outside the doors and waited to be called in.

As I stood waiting, a few people would walk by and give me strange looks. I ignored them all, not caring whether they liked me or not. After a few minutes, I heard two sets of feet coming my way. They stopped near me, but I didn't look up. Soon after they stopped, one of the two continued to walk on. The other person seemed to be coming towards me.

"Hello, I don't think I've ever seen you here before," began the person. I glanced up through my bangs and saw a man a bit older then myself. This man wore the standard shinobi outfit for Konoha, and had a bandage running over the bridge of his nose. He had long, spiky black hair, a goatee and dark eyes.

"I'm Kotetsu Hagane. What's your name?" the man introduced himself flawlessly. I didn't respond for a moment. I was a bit surprised he was talking to me, since the village didn't seem too friendly so far, but I supposed there were a few people who were.

"My name's Lark. It's nice to meet you, Kotetsu," I greeted, leaving out my last name for personal safety. Kotetsu smiled and continued talking.

"So you're new here? How are you liking Konoha?" he questioned. I thought for a moment, not sure if to tell him whether I had lived here or not.

"Well, I've been here before. Though, it has been awhile," I giggled. The smile on Kotetsu's face seemed to widen a bit at my answer.

"Oh. Well if you want, I can show you around later," offered the spiky haired man. It wasn't difficult to tell that Kotetsu was trying to flirt with me, so I thought I'd mess around a bit and play the dumb blonde.

"That would be so nice! Thank you!" I exclaimed, adding a little giggle in there to make it seem that I was interested. I heard footsteps coming towards the door from inside the Hokage's office as Kotetsu's smile widened once again.

"I'm glad to help. So, how about we meet around four in front of th-," though before he could finish, the door opened and revealed a slightly peeved Kakashi.

"H-hello Kakashi-san," stuttered a surprised Kotetsu. I knew Kakashi had heard our little conversation and by the looks of it, he didn't seemed to pleased.

"I'm sorry, but Lark has other plans. So, she can't go with you tonight," rudely responded Kakashi. Kotetsu looked a bit frightened of the masked ninja as he looked back at me.

"Maybe some other time then. I'll see you later," quickly said Kotetsu. The spiky haired man then started to walk away as fast as his two feet could take him. I giggled slightly at the sight as Kakashi gave me a small glare.

"What was that?" asked Kakashi. I stopped giggling and looked up at the jounin.

"What was what?" I questioned innocently, though fully aware of what Kakashi meant. The silver haired man just sighed and shook his head. He then waved for me to follow him inside the office.

Once inside we both stood in front of the Hokage's desk where Tsunade was sitting. She wasn't glaring at me like the last time we met, but there was still some hatred in her gaze. Well it's a start, I guessed.

"Now Lark, I've heard that you've been behaving yourself and for that I'm glad," said Tsunade. I gave Kakashi a quick, sideways glance, I was surprised he didn't tell her about those small incidents I had with that villager and him.

"Anyway, I don't really want to talk to you about how you're behaving," started the Hokage. She took a moment of silence before beginning to speak again.

"I want to talk to you two about the arrangement between the Hatake and Mayumi families," finished Tsunade. I stared at her confused and then gave Kakashi the same look. But when I looked over at the jounin, I saw shock written all over his face.

"What arrangement?" I asked, clearly confused. Though, it was Tsunade who seemed confused now.

"The arrangement that your fathers made when they and the Third were still alive," informed Tsunade. My eyes widened in realization, when I remembered what the arrangement was.

"And why do we need to talk about that?" I asked. Tsunade's confused look went away and she sighed.

"Well, Lark, if you remember, you went M.I.A. before you turned sixteen and when you turned sixteen you and Kakashi were supposed to wed," explained Tsunade. I glared slightly at the Hokage, not caring if it was disrespectful or whatever.

"I know that, but why do we have to talk about it? I'm twenty-five, not sixteen," I sassed. The Hokage didn't seem too pleased with my blunt reply, but ignored it.

"That's exactly why we have to talk about it. You two didn't get married at the time that was set, so now we have to work something else out," said Tsunade. I didn't like the sound of this.

"Now that Lark is back in the village, I believe that you and Kakashi should now marry to please your fathers' wishes," began Tsunade as she started to explain her decision. Both Kakashi and I stayed silent with worry all over our faces.

"Before either of you say anything, the reason the arrangement is still active is because you two are. Since there are remaining heirs to the Hatake and Mayumi clans, this engagement is still in effect," explained Tsunade. Still, Kakashi and I were silent.

"It doesn't matter if Lark is a criminal, the arrange marriage still stands. I think you to should marry. Both your parents and the Third agreed that this was best for both your clans. So I believe that in 2 months time you to should be married," finished the Hokage. There was silence for a few moments before I decided to break it.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" I exclaimed. Tsunade gave me a stern look as she began to respond to my outburst.

"I am _not_ kidding you, Lark. Both you and Kakashi were to be married long ago, but since you left you two will be wed to carry out the plan," snarled Tsunade. My gaze hardened and I turned to look at Kakashi. The masked jounin wasn't showing any emotion; he looked calm, not angry at all. I couldn't understand how he could be so _fucking_ calm about this. Our lives were being decided for us and he didn't seem to care.

"I am _not_ marrying him," I growled finally. This caused Tsunade to glare at me even harder.

"You will, Lark, and there is nothing you can do about it," hissed Tsunade. Not happy at all, I decided to protest even further.

"There is no way in _Hell_ that I'm going to marry someone with the Sharingan!" I yelled. This caused Tsunade and Kakashi to look at me in shock. Before they could say anything, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind me. I ignored the orders from the Hokage to go back. I couldn't stay there for any longer or I would really lose it.

* * *

><p>"Stupid Kakashi, standing there all <em>calm<em> and _cool_. Acting like nothing was going on," I mumbled to myself. I stomped out of the Hokage building in a big rush, and continued to walk, not particularly caring where my feet took me. I wasn't too surprised no one came after me. It wasn't like I could get away from any of the shinobi, and Kakashi could've easily caught up with me by now.

"Hey Lark!" called someone familiar, breaking me from my silent cursing. I looked towards the person and saw Naruto along with Yamato, Sakura and five people I didn't know. Putting on a realistic smile, I walked towards the excited blonde.

"Hello Naruto. Are you going somewhere?" I asked when I saw that Naruto had on a backpack. The blonde nodded in excitement.

"Yeah! We're going on a mission. Though it's a stupid D-ranked one. We have to go find grave robbers," sulked Naruto. I giggled at the now not-so-excited Naruto.

"Well at least it's a mission," I replied. Naruto smiled at me, but then glanced around with a bit of confusion.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" asked the blonde. I thought for a moment. Everyone here most likely knew that I was under Kakashi care and by the glares I was getting from everyone besides Naruto, Yamato and a really pale kid, I could safely say that they didn't trust me.

"Um… Well, Kakashi had to do something and he wouldn't let me go with him so…" I badly lied. I figured such a terrible lie was pointless, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Really? Huh. I wonder what he had to do?" wondered Naruto. I stared at the kid a bit dumbfounded, as did everyone else. I couldn't believe he thought I was telling the truth. A five-year-old could see through that lie.

"You're Lark Mayumi right?" asked the pale kid from before. The boy had a smile on his face, but it was obviously fake.

"What's it to you Pastey?" I hissed. The boy kept the fake smile as he continued to introduce himself.

"I'm Sai. I've heard something about you," replied Sai. I didn't smile or anything at the kid. He just sent off a weird vibe and I didn't like it.

"Well, I bet they weren't good things," I murmured. Sai chuckled to himself, seeming amused by my statement.

"We should get going," said Sakura. Everyone looked towards her and nodded. Naruto waved goodbye to me as he ran off with Sakura and Sai, Yamato trailing behind them. Just as I was about to leave, one of the four who remained stopped me.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Lark?" chuckled Asuma, who I remembered from eight years ago with a nostalgic smile.

"It has Asuma! I see that you haven't given up your smoking habit," I teased. Asuma shook his head in amusement.

"Asuma-sensei, do you know her?" asked a girl with long blonde hair in a ponytail. The other two members, who I assumed were Asuma's male students, nodded with the girl's question.

"Yes, we knew each other from when Lark was here before," answered Asuma. The three teens nodded, but didn't say anything.

"I should be going as well. Kakashi's probably look for me right now," I mumbled. Asuma nodded and waved as I walk away from the group.

* * *

><p>I was close to the training grounds where Kakashi and I had been with Naruto earlier. As I was about to take a step into the beginning of the clearing, I heard an all-too-familiar voice call out.<p>

"Lark!" yelled Kakashi. I ignored his calls and continued walking. My pace picked up a bit when I heard him getting closer. It was no use though; I knew Kakashi would catch up with me in no time, so there was no point in walking any faster.

"Lark, will you stop walking!" hissed Kakashi. He grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop. Not looking at him, I tore my arm away and kept walking.

"Lark!" shouted Kakashi.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled back. Though, Kakashi didn't listen as he had appeared in front of me, making me stop.

"Will you just listen?" pleaded Kakashi. Crossing my arms, I stood there with my eyebrows raised and waited for Kakashi to start talking.

"What was all that back there? You had no reason to get angry like that," scolded Kakashi. I turned my face from the masked jounin and gave a small huff.

"Are you going to tell me? Or are we going to stand here in silence?" Questioned Kakashi. I answered with nothing, letting Kakashi know that I wasn't about to talk.

"Fine. I'll stand here until you feel like talking," sighed Kakashi.

It felt like an hour had passed since Kakashi had caught up with me. Not a word was uttered in this time, and the silence was slowly gathering under my skin. I didn't want to talk, but I knew Kakashi wouldn't let me go until I said something. The sun had nearly set and it was going to get dark soon. I was hungry and tired, so I decided to speak.

"You _really _want to know why I got so mad?" I asked. Kakashi jumped slightly, surprised that I'd actually spoken.

"Yes," answered Kakashi as he slowly nodded his head. Sighing, I thought about how I should start without yelling.

* * *

><p>There you go! Hope you liked it. Please review! Bye Bye!<p> 


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello! Sorry it's been awhile, somethings just came up... Anyway here's chapter 9 and I hate to say this but you wont be getting chapter 10 anytime soon :( I have writers block and also show season begins really soon and I have to get my horse ready (She's scared of like everything...) Well I hope you guys like this chapter and don't hate me!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of it's characters. I just own Lark, Mika, Jiro, Jun and Hanta.**

* * *

><p>Taking a deep breath, I turned to face Kakashi. The masked jounin stood there, patiently waiting for the explanation of why I got mad. Trying to settle my nerves, I didn't say anything for a moment.<p>

"The reason I'm so mad is because I don't want to be told who I have to love," I stated. Kakashi nodded at my reasonable statement.

"I know that. That's the same reason you had last time; but you know that it's something we have to do. We're not kids anymore," informed Kakashi. I huffed and turned to face the jounin.

"Yeah, I'm not a kid. So don't treat me like one," I hissed. Kakashi just narrowed his eye as he waited for me to continue. "I've had 17 years to think about this damn arrangement. From the time I was told till now," I growled.

"Yes, you had 17 years for you to see that this is what our fathers wanted," replied Kakashi. Clenching my teeth, I stared right into Kakashi eye.

"No, I had 17 years to see that our fathers were selfish bastards. And since when did you care about what your father wanted?" I snapped. Now Kakashi was full on glaring at me, but it didn't faze me one bit.

"I'm not doing it for my father. I'm doing it for yours," answered the silver haired man. I scoffed at Kakashi's outlandish claim.

"You're doing it for _my_ father? No, Kakashi, you're just following orders like the _good little soldier_ you are," I sassed. Kakashi didn't like that one bit, and he showed it by coming up a bit too close for my comfort.

"Your father was an honorble man tha-," started Kakashi before I cut him off.

"Honorable man? My father was a selfish bastard and so was yours!" I exclaimed. Kakashi's gaze hardened even more as he got even more irritated.

"How? How were our fathers selfish?" demanded Kakashi. I gave a bit of a laugh at Kakashi's stupidity.

"Really? You have to ask? It's obvious," I began. Kakashi didn't move or say anything, so I continued. "Our fathers wanted power. Why do you think they wanted to join our clans? The Hatakes were known for their strength and intelligence, and the Mayumis are known for their good looks and kekkei genkai. Put two together and you have gorgeous, badass shinobi," I explained. Still Kakashi didn't do anything.

"That's why our fathers are selfish. They wanted power and would ruin their own children's lives to get. They're almost as bad as the Uchihas," I finished. Kakashi stared for a moment. Trying to comprehend what I'd just said.

"Lark, I know what you mean, but-," started Kakashi.

"Do you _really_? Ever since my father told me about our engagement, he would tell me almost everyday that we would have very powerful children and will be able to bring new strength to the village," I cut off whatever the masked man was about to open his mouth to say. "They didn't care about what we thought or felt. They didn't think of what their future children would say about it. They just assumed that we'd go along with it. Not once did they think about us. Not about our feelings on all of it, and you know what? I can say for _certain_ that your father was pretty _fucking_ selfish!" I yelled finally. The note rang in the silence that followed. Kakashi's gaze hardened even more than before, and for a moment I thought he was going to hit me. I knew I brought up a sore subject for him but right now, I honestly didn't care. What I'd said was the truth and Kakashi had known it for a long time. Sakumo had committed suicide and left his eight-year-old son all alone, not thinking of what it would do to his son

"You don't have to tell me something I already know," growled Kakashi.

"Well, apparently, I do. Since you're not seeing it for yourself," I mumbled. Another moment of silence went by. Kakashi and I didn't say anything; we only looked each other in the eyes, searching.

After a while, Kakashi sighed and slowly nodded his head. He must have finally realized that I was right. That our fathers were just power hungry, and not thinking about our happiness.

"You do know that we can't get out of it, right?" questioned Kakashi. My gaze softened at Kakashi's change in attitude.

"Who says? We have two months to work something out," I smirked. Kakashi smiled under his mask, but it dropped soon after.

"What did you mean by 'I wont marry someone with the Sharingan'?" asked the silver haired man, like he finally remembered. My smile dropped as well; I looked away and started playing with my jacket's zipper.

"Um… Well, I-I didn't really mean that. It's just- you see- Um…" I stumbled out. Kakashi gave an amused gaze as he waited for me to finish.

"I said that to see if I could get out of the arrangement!" I quickly spilled. I heard Kakashi chuckle a bit, but I didn't dare turn back.

"Is that all? For a second, I thought you hated me," laughed Kakashi. Sticking my tongue out at the jounin, I smiled at the lighter atmosphere. It didn't seem like Kakashi was angry anymore, and neither was I. Well, I was still mad at our fathers, but not at Kakashi.

"Well, don't think that I like you or anything. You're not even in my top five favorite people," I teased. Feigned hurt appeared in Kakashi's uncovered eye, but disappeared quickly. It seemed that Kakashi still didn't like to fool around.

"Mind telling who your top five are?" asked Kakashi. My smile grew as I shook my head.

"Nope!" I announced. Kakashi rolled his eye and tried not to laugh at my silliness.

"We should get back. It's getting pretty late," mentioned Kakashi. I looked at our surroundings and saw that everything was covered in shadows. The only light was coming from the moon, but it wasn't enough to make out the full details of anything.

"Sounds good," I agreed. We started to walk back to the apartment in silence. Though, it wasn't an awkward silence, more like a relaxed one.

As we were walking, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that the argument we just had hadn't lasted long. It didn't even seem like Kakashi was mad at me anymore. Though, I knew he was still slightly angry with me. I mean, I _did_ bring up his dad's suicide, and it _was_ still a really sore subject for him. At least he's not showing his anger though, but I guess that's what a shinobi does best: hide their emotions.

It didn't take long for us to arrive back at Kakashi's apartment. It took me an equally short time to fall asleep on the couch. Kakashi must of just left me there, as he didn't try to wake me up. I didn't know why I was tired though. I hadn't done anything all day and I even had a little nap. Must be all those nights without sleep catching up on me. _How many hours of sleep have I lost? Let me think… well… Too many._

As I was falling deeper into sleep, I couldn't help but remember the last time Kakashi and I had an argument about our arrangement.

_**-8 Years Earlier-**_

"LARK!" yelled my best friend. My eyes slowly opened and I stared lazily at the brown haired kunoichi.

"What is it, Mika?" I asked. I had been taking small nap in the shade of a tree, when Mika had decided to rudely awaken me.

"I'm bored and all you do is sleep, so I thought I'd wake you up. So now that you're up lets do something," cheered Mika. I rolled my eyes at the over hyper brunette. It seemed like Mika was always bored.

"If you're bored, go bug Jiro. I'm sure he'll want to do something too," I yawned. Mika pouted as she shook her head like a little kid.

"Jiro is with his brother and his brother doesn't like me," whined Mika. Knowing I wasn't going to be able to sleep with Mika here, I sat up to talk to the brunette better.

"Well, he'd like you better if you were nicer to him," I sighed. Mika and Jiro's brother, Jun, never got along and it didn't help when Mika would be rude to the older jounin.

"I'll be nicer to him when he's nicer to me," protested Mika. I just shook my head as I stood up. Mika followed my action and had a big smile on her face.

"Are you going to do something with me now?" asked the brunette. I nodded my head as Mika jumped with joy.

"We're going to go find Iruka," I stated. Mika's once big smile, dropped at the sound of the activity I suggested.

"Why? Iruka isn't anything interesting," questioned Mika. I shrugged and started to walk to where I thought Iruka might be.

"I don't know. Iruka's a friend and I haven't seen him since he became chunin," I answered. Mika sighed and began mumbling nonsense as she followed behind me.

As you could tell, Mika wasn't too fond of Iruka either. Actually, Mika didn't like a lot of people, but you would think she would be a very friendly person with her happy personality and all. Though, Mika was one of the most judgmental people I've ever met. The reason she doesn't really like Iruka is because she doesn't like his name. I sometimes wonder how she's ever going to find a boyfriend.

"Oi! Lark-san," called the voice of a person I didn't want to see. Both Mika and I stopped and turned to see who called me. As I thought, Kakashi Hatake was walking towards us, dressed in his ANBU attire.

"What do you want Kakashi?" I growled. It was my day off and I really didn't want to deal with this silver haired jerk today.

"The Hokage wants to see us," answered Kakashi. I stared in confusion for a moment.

"Why would the Hokage want to see the both of us at the same time?" I asked. Kakashi shrugged and turned to start walking towards the Hokage's building.

"How rude. He didn't even wait for you," mumbled Mika. I nodded as I glared at the back of the masked ANBU member.

"Well, I guess I should go. Go find someone else to spend time with," I sighed. Mika pouted slightly, but didn't say anything in protest. We started to walk separate ways, Mika going to go bug the crap out of someone, and me going to go see the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama. Can I come in?" I asked before opening the door to the Hokage's office.

After hearing the quiet reply from the Hokage, I turned the doorknob and entered the room. There was the Third Hokage, sitting behind his desk, and Kakashi, standing with his back turned away from the door. I was slightly surprised to see Kakashi here before me, but ignored it. I quickly, and quietly, shut the door behind me and stood beside Kakashi with a good 4ft between us.

"Now that you both are here. I would like to go over the arrangement that your fathers had," started the Hokage. My visible eye widen a bit in shock. I had forgotten about that arrangement since I hadn't talked about it with anyone for a while.

"As you both know, when Lark turns 16, the both of you will marry each other to carry on both clans' traits. With Lark's birthday in two weeks, this arrangement will take effect," continued the Hokage. Neither Kakashi nor I disrupted the old man. We both stayed quiet till the Hokage was done.

"I have arranged that a week after Lark's 16th birthday, that you two, Kakashi Hatake and Lark Mayumi, will wed," finished the Hokage. Nothing was said at first. Kakashi had just nodded in understanding, but I wasn't going to let this happen.

"No! I'm not going to be told who I'm going to marry!" I exclaimed. The Hokage sighed and gave me a stern look.

"Lark, I know you aren't happy about this, but it's what's good for both of yours clans. It's what your fathers wanted," informed the Hokage. I clenched my fists even harder then they were before.

"I don't care what our fathers wanted!" I yelled. Both Kakashi and the Hokage gave me shocked expressions. I knew what they were thinking, and they both thought the same thing. They thought that I didn't respect my father, and they were basically right. My father doesn't deserve to be respected for what he's making me do.

"Kakashi! You don't like this idea either, so why don't you say something," I told the silver haired man. Kakashi gave me small glares, which harden as he began talking.

"I might not like the idea, but it's something we have to do," growled Kakashi. I huffed in frustration. Kakashi wasn't helping in any way, and I didn't have any idea of how to get out of this. That is until a thought came to mind.

"We can't get married and have a family. Kakashi and I are always on dangerous missions, we could die any day now. How are we supposed to start and raise a family?" I questioned. I knew I got them there. There was no way Kakashi would quit ANBU for a stupid arrangement our fathers thought up. Though, the reaction I got from the Hokage wasn't one I was hoping for.

"We already thought of that," began the old man. My shoulders slumped as I sighed.

"Of course you did," I murmured. The Hokage paid no mind to me though.

"It normal to assume that Kakashi wont stay in ANBU forever, and that he'll quit after a few more years," continued the Hokage. Kakashi nodded slowly in agreement, but I knew he really didn't want to agree. The ANBU was important to Kakashi and he worked really hard to get where he was.

"And you Lark wont be going on many missions in a few years," finished the Hokage. I stared at the old man wide eyed.

"Excuse me? What do you mean 'wont be going on many missions'?" I asked. The Hokage was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to find the right words.

"It was decided that in a three years I will step down as Hokage and you, Lark, will take my place," answered the Hokage. Both Kakashi's and mine visible eyes were wide open. Neither one of us could believe what he just said.

"Lark as Hokage? That's insane," protested the masked shinobi. I on the other hand said nothing. I was still trying to process what was just said. Me as Hokage? That's not right. I can't be Hoakge; I'm nowhere near the point of Hokage.

"Lark has showed great leadership in previous missions and has the power to take on the fourth," informed the Hokage. Still nothing came out of my mouth. Usually I would be protesting and yelling, but I couldn't right now. Kakashi on the other hand was doing just fine in protesting.

"But she's too young! She'll barley be twenty when she's appointed to office," proclaimed Kakashi.

"The fourth was in his mid-twenties when he became Hokage and Lark's no different. It doesn't matter the person's age, what only matters is how the person handles the situation," replied the Hokage. Gazes were sent in my direction, as if waiting for my response. It took me awhile, but my voice came back to me. Though, it didn't come back fully.

"I'm honoured, but I can't become Hokage. It's something I never had interest in becoming," I whispered. The Hokage nodded in understanding and turned his gaze to look at Kakashi and I together.

"I understand that Lark, but I hope you reconsider. Anyway, in conclusion you two will marry a week after Lark's birthday," stated the Hokage.

"You're still making us do it!" I exclaimed. After I said that I wasn't going to become Hokage, and that means I'll be staying at my present status, he's still saying we have to get married?

"Yes you still have to get married. It doesn't matter what either of your positions are, you'll marry anyway," said the Hokage. I clenched my fists once again and let out a huge breathe. I glanced over at Kakashi to see if he was going to say anything, but when I looked over, I saw Kakashi with his head bowed in defeat. He was accepting the fact that we had to get married!

"This is bullshit," I hissed. Turning on my heel, I left the room. Kakashi had run after me after saying a few words with the Hokage. He caught me right before I left the building.

"Lark, what's your problem?" Asked the ANBU member as he grabbed my arm to stop me. I quickly turned around and slapped Kakashi's arm away.

"You're my problem! You didn't say anything to try to get out of this stupid marriage," I yelled. Kakashi's one eye narrowed and stared into my uncovered one.

"I did say something!" Argued Kakashi. I stared at him in disbelief and waited for him to continue.

"I protested to you becoming Hokage," defended the silver haired man. I sighed in frustration.

"That's not about the marriage! You just didn't want me to rank higher then you!" I exclaimed. Kakashi's glares harden at my claim.

"That's not true! I thought that if you didn't become Hokage, that the marrage would be canceled," replied Kakashi. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh really? So it's true that I'm stronger then you and I should become Hokage," I jeered. Kakashi took an intake of breath and quickly breathed out, which I guess was to help him keep his cool.

"There's no way that you're stronger then me," stated Kakashi. I scoffed and stared hard at Kakashi.

"Then why was I offered the placement of Hokage and you weren't?" I asked before I turned away. Kakashi didn't say anything in return, so I continued to walk forward.

That guy just doesn't know when to emit when he just might be weaker then someone. I'd emit that Kakashi is very strong and would put up a good fight, but he's not the strongest shinobi out there, and I wish he'd realize that. He also believes that I'm not strong and just a weak, naïve little girl. I have no idea how we're supposed to be married to each other when we both can't stand the other's presence.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you thought and if any ideas, tell me and they might help my writer block :P Bye Bye!<strong>


	11. Chapter 10

**Here's chapter 10! I wont be writing for a while because I have exams in less then 2 weeks and I'm going to a horse show this weekend and a horse camp next weekend. As you can tell horses take up a lot of my time :P**

**I also have something to ask you readers. My beta has been getting really busy and doesn't have the time to look over the chapters anymore, and I was wondering if anyone wanted to beta my story or stories. If no one wants to then they'll just be edited by me so don't be too upset if there are errors... Well, hope you enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I just own Lark, Jiro and Mika :D**

* * *

><p>The next day I woke up all by myself. There was no masked man, reading his perverted book, to wake me up. I was thankful for the peaceful awakening though. Kakashi probably would've pushed me on the floor again.<p>

I got up off the couch, stretching my arms over my head. Yawning, I walked over to the small kitchen and began to rummage through the, very low stocked, fridge. There was food there, but it didn't look very edible. Giving up in my search for food, I started for Kakashi's room to see if he was even up yet. Though, before I got there, I caught a glimpse of a small sheet of paper on the table.

The paper seemed to be a note, which I could hardly read. The handwriting was the worst! I was sure an Academy student could write better. Anyway, I began to read the horrible written letter. It said:

_Hey Lark. Judging on how you are drooling on my couch, I guessing I'll be long gone before you read this. I forgot to tell you yesterday that I would be going on a mission for a while. Before you think it; No you couldn't come with me because it's about the Akatsuki. Now, later your temporary supervisor will come by. DO NOT LEAVE THE APARTMENT! I put a seal on the door, so you can't escape anyway._

_See You Later,_

_ Kakashi _

I crumpled the note with a slight growl. I didn't want to stay in the apartment or have a temporary supervisor, or baby sitter, as I like to call it.

Throwing the note in the garbage, I strolled over to Kakashi's bookcase for something to read. What I noticed was that all the books were scattered all over the shelves, but there were a few books that were place neatly beside each other. Curious, I reached for one of the books, but regretted it as soon as I flipped the page.

Quickly, I flipped the book closed and looked closely at the cover. It read _Icha Icha Violence_.

"Does Kakashi only read porn?" I exclaimed. Shaking my head, I placed the book back. Though, before it was fully back in place, I got wondering.

"I wonder why Kakashi likes it so much…" I wondered to myself. Taking the book again, I sat down in the armchair and began to read.

It took me about half an hour to read two pages. I kept turning my head away in embarrassment. The author didn't waste anytime to begin the smut.

After I read the third page, I had to put the book back. I just couldn't read it. It's not that I'm not a perverted person at times, but porn, to me, is just plain creepy. So, instead of reading Kakashi's favourite book, I pulled another one of the shelf.

This one was a horror/mystery book, which is more to my liking. Though, before I sat down, I grab the only good apple from the fridge. I had begun to get hungry and I needed something to tie me over till lunch.

About 2 hours pasted since I sat down. The book I was reading was getting really interesting, but the doorbell rang. So, unfortunately, I had to put the book down. As I walked closer to the door, I remember that Kakashi had put a seal on it. So, I was hoping the person on the other side knew how to break it.

Looking through the small peephole, I saw a person dressed head-to-toe in green spandex. I quickly looked away and began to look for a hiding spot.

"Hello!" Exclaimed Guy as I dove behind the couch. I know it wasn't the best place to hide, but I was in a hurry and this guy didn't seem too smart. So, if I'm lucky, I'll get away with it.

"Lark! Kakashi sent me to watch over you while he's gone. I'll just let myself in," declared Guy with too much happiness in his voice. While Guy was breaking the seal and opening the door, I was sitting there while muttering "no" over and over again.

"Where are you?" Questioned the "youthful" jounin when he entered the apartment. As soon as he stepped a foot the doorway, I stayed perfectly still.

"Playing a game of Hide and Seek, are we? What I good training exercise! I can improve my finding skills!" Cheered Guy. I shook my head at Guy's over excitement. I wasn't playing 'Hide and Seek'; I was playing 'Hide from Guy'. While Guy left the living room, to go check the bedrooms first, I peeked from my hiding spot. Noticing that Guy left the door wide open, I thought of a plan.

Even though I have no chakra, I'm still a very fast runner. So, if I'm quick enough, I might be able to get out of here and away from the green freak. Then I might be able to get out of the village and back to Mika and Jiro! Though, I still wont have chakra, but I'm sure there's some sort of jutsu someone knows that it will give me back my chakra. As I thought this was a fantastic plan, I got myself ready to run.

I could tell Guy was in Kakashi's room at the moment, and his room was at the farthest end of the house. Counting to three in my head, I prepared myself.

'One… Two… Three!' I got up from my place and headed for the door at lightening speed. Making it out the door, I heard Guy's heavy footsteps quickly coming after me. Though, I kept running.

Surprisingly, I made it out of the building and to the park next door. Starting to slow down, thinking I lost him, but I thought too soon. There was Guy, standing right in front of me with a stupid smile on his face.

"Shit!" I yelled out of frustration. I really believed I could've gotten away. Guess I was wrong.

"Thought you could get away from Kohona's Green Beast? Well you thought wrong!" Exclaimed the 'Green Beast'. I stared at him for a moment, and then rolled my eyes.

"Technically, I did get away from you. I got out of the building and you couldn't catch up with me for a while. I think someone's getting a bit old," I pointed out. Guy's smile faltered for a second, but returned as he flashed me a wide smile.

"Never will I be old. I will always have my youth!" Cried out Guy. I rolled my eyes again.

"Well ' ', are you going to turn me in for trying to escape?" I asked. On the outside I probably looked like I didn't care, but on the inside I was scared. If the Hokage finds out I tried to escape, then I'll be imprisoned for sure.

"No, I won't turn you in. I'm going to have you train with my team as punishment," answered Guy. I stared at the man confused.

"You do know I have no chakra, right?" I questioned. Guy nodded in response and began to walk away. Still confused, I followed the green covered man.

We arrived at a training area where three people were standing. I recognized them instantly and they remembered me too. They all gave me suspicious looks as they turned to their sensei.

"What's she doing here?" Asked TenTen.

"Yes. Isn't Kakashi-sensei supposed to be watching her," stated Neji. Lee nodded in agreement. I just stood there in silence, not looking at them in the eyes. I could tell they weren't happy to see me, and I knew they wouldn't be as easy to make peace with like Naruto was.

"Kakashi's gone on a mission, so I'll be watching Lark while he's gone. Now give Lark a warm smile and lets start training!" Answered Guy. No one gave me a smile. Well Lee did, but that was because Guy told him to.

* * *

><p>As they were doing some sort of training, I just stood there not paying attention. I didn't need to train, and it's not like I could practice my ninjutsu or genjutsu. Taijutsu wasn't my strong point, but even that you need some chakra.<p>

"Come on Lark! Show us your youthfulness!" Guy yelled from across the field. I shook my head, and plopped myself onto the ground. Everyone stopped what they were doing and came over to me. Though, I didn't look up.

"Lark, this is your punishment. Now can you please train with us?" Asked Guy. I turned my head like a child would when they refused something.

"No." I stated. They all shook their heads in annoyance, but I didn't care. Let them think I was lazy.

"She's probably feeling the effects of old age without her chakra," muttered TenTen. That got my attention.

"Excuse me?" I asked, slowly getting up from my spot. TenTen looked at me with a bit of worry.

"I said you're probably feeling the effects of old age," repeated the female. I glared slightly at the girl and stared at her straight in the eyes.

"I'm not feeling old," I growled. Lee somewhat laughed in the background.

"It's alright. Guy-sensei sometimes has those effects too," laughed Lee. Guy glared at his student slightly, but soon turned his gaze back to me. I turned around to the Guy look alike.

"I'm not feeling the effects because I'm not old," I again growled. Lee's laugh soon became less happy and more worried.

"You are thirty aren't you? Or maybe a bit older," questioned Lee. That made me mad, or maybe mad was an underestimate. I was furious!

"I'm 25," I replied with a dark tone. Lee laughed nervously as he saw my fists clench.

"Still… That's pretty old," muttered TenTen to herself. Unfortunately for her, I heard what she said.

"I'm not old!" I hollered as I swung my right fist at TenTen, but Lee just had to interfere and stop my fist.

"Now lets calm down and get back to training. There's no need to start a fight," said Lee as he let go. Though, I didn't want to train. I wanted a fight now. That way I can take out my anger on someone.

"How about we fight each other bug eyes. That way your still training and I get a fight," I offered. Lee thought about it for a moment. He looked over at his team for an answer. Guy nodded yes, while Neji and TenTen shook their heads. TenTen still looked a bit shocked from when I tried to punch her, she probably didn't want her teammate to take the punch for her.

"Fine. I'll fight you," agreed Lee. Both Neji and TenTen sighed, while Guy gave a thumb up. I just smirked at the bug-eyed boy and he smirked back.

We stood about twenty feet from each. Both of us having pure confidence in our eyes. Guy, Neji and TenTen were all standing on the sidelines as they watched us with interest. I knew this was going to be difficult, me having no chakra and all, but I still had skills even without the extra energy.

"I'll be nice and let you have the first try. You'll need the head start," I smirked at Lee. The boy's eyes narrow slightly as he gets in a ready position. I went into my own position as well, and waited for the fight to begin.

"Start!" Guy yelled from the sidelines. At the signal, Lee took off with lightening speed. That took me off guard a bit, as I wasn't expecting the kid to be so fast. Lee came up in front of me and was about to strike me, but I moved out of the last minute. My sudden movement shocked my opponent as well as the rest of his team. Guess all that running Hantā-sensei made us do was worth it.

"Oh come on. You can't be done already," I teased as I waited for Lee to make another move. It took a second for the shock to wear off, but when it did the kid was after me again.

Punches and kicks were thrown back and forth between the two of us. Lee had landed a few on me, but not hard enough to do anything. It didn't seem like he was trying to hard, like he was taking it easy on me. Well, I appreciate the gesture, but I hate it when people think I'm not able to do something.

"Don't go easy on me! It's no fun when you're not trying," I whined. At that being said, Lee struck me with a hard kick to my side. Now this kick hurt a lot more then the others, but still not enough to bring me down. So, since the kid wanted to go easy on me, I thought I'd take advantage of it.

When Lee was about to punch me, I quickly dodge it and fell to the ground. Before the kid could recover from the slight shock, I wiped my leg around and hit the bug-eyed kid's leg. This made Lee lose his balance and fall to the ground. I got up before he even hit the ground, and when he finally did hit, I pulled out the one kunai I had and placed it right at his throat. Of course I wasn't pressing hard enough for it to actually break skin, but it signaled that I won the match.

"Never underestimate your opponent. It might just get you killed," I murmured lowly. Lee looked up at me with scared, but also surprised eyes. I put the kunai back into my pouch and stepped away from the boy as his team came up to us.

"You got beaten by a women with no chakra! That's bad Lee. Real bad…" Scolded TenTen as she offered to help Lee up off the ground.

"Well… She's better then I thought she was," replied Lee, not letting his team know that he hadn't been full out fighting.

"It seems that Lark is a more powerful then we thought," mumbled Neji, not really speaking to anyone. They all turned to me and stared at me for a moment.

"What?" I asked when they didn't move for a few seconds. It was getting kind of awkward with them staring at me.

"You just showed us the great power of youth, Lark!" Exclaimed Guy. The green man had tears streaming from his eyes and had thrown a fist up into the air. Lee did the same pose after I moment and Neji, TenTen and I all looked at them like they were insane. This was actually more awkward then the staring…

"Umm… Thank you?" I drawled, not very sure what to say. Lee came up to me and gave a respected bow.

"It was a pleasure sparring with you Lark-san! You've taught me to never underestimate my opponents, even if they don't have much chakra," rambled Lee. I stood there dumb founded for a second.

"Glad I could help. Now if you excuse me-," I started, but a slight pain in my head made me stop.

"Is everything all right Lark-san?" Asked Lee who was staring at me with slight concern. The pain increased a bit more and I started to rub my left temple.

"Just a little dizzy, but I'm fine," I reassured the bug-eyed chunin. Lee nodded in understanding when Guy came up beside him.

"Maybe you should take it easy for now. Fighting with little chakra can take a lot out of you," informed Guy. I nodded and began to walk towards the tree I had been sitting under earlier. Though, after more time passed, the pain became more intense. I had know clue what was wrong, but figured I just overworked myself. Resting in the shade should help, but after that I know not to fight with the situation I'm in.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to the shade. Just when I was ten feet away from my destination, I fainted. I've been fainting way too much lately…

Though, before fully passing out, I heard a voice whispering in my head.

_"Finally. Now we can talk…"_

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell my what you think! I'm also sorry if any member of team Guy is out of character... I'm not as "youthful" as Guy or Lee, so it was somewhat hard to wright for them. I hope I got Neji right though :) And as for Tenten... She's probably not right, but I don't really like her sooo... Anyways thanks!<strong>


	12. Chapter 11

**Wow! Two chapters in one day :D This chapter is shorter then the others, but the next chapters will be the regular length. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Now that you're asleep. We have to talk,"<em> said the voice that caused me to pass out. Unfortunately, for the voice, I knew who they were and they're getting punched the next time I saw them.

"_What do you want Itachi? I'm not supposed to be talking to anyone in the Akatsuki," _I murmured I didn't appreciate being knocked out.

"_I just wanted to know what kind of information you had," _claimed Itachi. I huffed at the voice.

"_Really? You actually think that I have some information for you? Do you actually believe that they'll just let me off on my own, so I could gather information? "_ I questioned the Uchiha.

"_Well, what have you've been doing all this time?" _Asked Itachi.

"_I've been training, and just a moment ago I won a fight,"_ I boasted, proud of my victory. Itachi scoffed at me, not really impressed.

"_That's all? Maybe you should do something useful Lark,"_ muttered the Uchiha. I was a bit annoyed with that remark. What did he expect me to do?

"_What do you want me to do then? Remember it's hard to gather information when I have no chakra!"_ I exclaimed. Maybe yelling at the weasel will make him realize what kind of situation I was in.

"_You're being supervised by Kakashi Hatake, so that means you'll be close to the nine-tails. Find out stuff about him, you won't need any special skills to get anything from him," _Itachi informed me. I shook my head. He wants me to spy the old fashion way.

"_That's easier said then done. He isn't in the village at the moment and I don't know when he'll be back. Also, I'm done with the Akatsuki, so do your own dirty work,"_ I growled. Itachi didn't seem happy that I was refusing a job.

"_You're done with the Akatsuki? You'll never be done with the Akatsuki dear Lark,"_ stated the weasel.

"_Says you,"_ I retorted. There is no way I'm going to let Itachi tell me what to do. I've done enough shit for him, and now he can do it himself.

"_Fine. I'll just tell your friend that you've betrayed them,"_ threatened Itachi. My eyes grew with worry, but soon narrowed in anger.

"_I've never betrayed my friends,"_ I snapped.

"_Then what do you call this? Leaving the Akatsuki to join the Leaf Village. Sounds like betrayal to me,"_ argued Itachi. I started to growl even louder. This guy was really pissing me off!

"_I call it protecting! If I left the village, they'd certainly follow me and I'd lead them right to you guys. I've told the Hokage nothing and I plan on keeping my mouth shut till the end of time! Though, I can easily break that plan and tell them all about you!"_ I yelled. My yelling didn't phase the Uchiha one bit and instead he just laughed.

"_So, you'd betray me? After all we've been through?"_ Taunted Itachi.

"_Truth is, a while ago I would have never betrayed you, but now I realized that you don't deserve love from anyone. Also, don't talk to me about betrayal, when you betrayed your whole clan. Especially your little brother,"_ I snarled. Itachi wasn't amused with this one bit, and I had finally pushed his buttons.

"_Just watch your back Lark. You'll regret your decision,"_ growled Itachi.

"_We'll see,"_ I mumbled as Itachi cut off the bond.

My eyes fluttered open a few moments later. Looking around at my surroundings, I noticed that I wasn't outside, but in a bed. Sitting up, I also see that this was actually Kakashi's room.

"How'd I get here?" I asked myself as no one was in the room. Slowly, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand, but with little success. My legs felt like they were made out of noodles. This sort of surprised me; since I've never had this effect after have a mind conversation. It must be because Itachi made me pass out when he tried to get through with the bond.

"I'm going to kill that brat," I murmured. Lying back down on the bed, I thought about what Itachi said. There was really no way he would kill me, was there? I mean I am, or was, a valued member of the Akatsuki because of my Kekkei Genkai, but still. Will I be killed because I've left and can give information about them to the Leaf? Most likely. I kill the people I extract info from, just so they can't go telling their village about 'the girl who asked about the tailed beasts'.

"Well, look who's up," said the voice of the Hokage. Sitting back up, I see the big chested lady leaning on the doorframe.

"What do you want?" I asked. Tsunade 'tsked' and came closer to the bed.

"Just wanted to see how you were. You've been out for a while now," replied the Hokage. My eyes widen in shock.

"How long is a while?" I questioned. The Hokage thought for a moment before answering.

"Maybe for a day. When you fell, you hit your head on a rock pretty hard," answered Tsunade.

"A day? It didn't feel that long," I mumbled. Tsunade shrugged and then put her hand to my forehead.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I wasn't comfortable with her touching me. Personally space is very important to me.

"Just checking if you're alright. Which you are, so I'll go tell Guy-." Began the Hokage, but I cut her off before she could finish.

"Don't!" I exclaimed. Tsunade gave me a curious glance as if asking why I cut her off.

"I don't want to be babysat by that freak. He creeps me out and his team thinks I'm old!" I whined. The Hokage sighed and shook her head at me.

"I can understand that, but I have no one else to look after you," sighed Tsunade as she rose from the bed.

"Then imprison me until Kakashi gets back! Anything is better then staying with Guy!" I argued. Something I said must of sparked Tsunae's interest because now she's staring at me with some sort of fire in her eyes.

"Well, there is one place…" Trailed Tsunade. My eyes lit up and I scooted closer to the edge of the bed.

"Really? Where!" I proclaimed.

"How do you feel about children?" Asked the Hokage. At that my smile dropped, as I knew where she was going to send me. Oh no…

* * *

><p>The next day, I found myself standing in the doorway to a very noisy classroom. Kids were running around, yelling at their friends as if they were on the other side of the room. The teacher was standing in front of the class, rubbing his temple as he tried to get the class to settle down.<p>

At first I didn't recognize the teacher as someone I knew, but when they raised their head to yell at the class again, I remembered the person right away. Though, I didn't say anything to greet the man. Instead I said something to get the little brats to shut up.

"Will you all be quiet!" I yelled. Everyone in the room fell silent and turned to look at the door. They all seemed shocked to hear someone other then their teacher yell at them, but they all got over it as they started to whisper to one another.

Sighing, I walked up to where the teacher was standing. He still seemed shocked by my appearance. It looked like he hadn't blinked for a few moments, so I waved my hand in front of his face.

"Hello? Earth to Iruka," I sang in a cheerful way. Besides Mika and Jiro, Iruka was the only other person I was actually nice to. Iruka shook his head a couple times. He seemed really confused. Though, he seemed to be holding in some emotion of some kind.

"L-Lark-san? I didn't know you were back in the village," stuttered Iruka. I gave the teacher a confused look. Didn't Tsunade tell him I was coming? Also, wouldn't he of heard that I was captured from other ninja?

"You didn't know? Wow, you're still the last one to know everything isn't? I swear that every shinobi in the entire village knows I'm here," I mused. Still, Iruka looked like he was trying to hold something in, but he turned away from me before I could say something.

"Class, this is Lark Mayumi. She'll be assisting me for a few days," introduced Iruka. He then took a quick glance at me and quickly went back to the class.

"Also, treat her with great respect. You don't want to see her mad," added the teacher. I smirked at that part. Iruka still remembered the short temper I have, especially with kids.

After Iruka had gotten the kids to work, he gestured me out into the hallway. When we exited the room, Iruka shut the door so the students wouldn't hear.

"I didn't know that the kunochi I was supervising was going to be you, Lark-san," mumbled Iruka, who wasn't looking at me. It sort of ticked me off that he wasn't looking at me, but I was even more upset that the Hokage didn't bother to tell Iruka who he was watching.

"Well, I pretty sure Tsunade likes to leave out important information. She didn't tell me who was going to watch me or what I was even supposed to do here," I smirked. Though, Iruka didn't seem too pleased.

"So, where have you've been for the last eight years?" Asked Iruka. I was silent, getting the feeling that Iruka wasn't told much at all.

"They really didn't tell you anything, did they?" I questioned. It was Iruka's turn to look confused.

"Tell me what?" Inquired Iruka. I shook my head at the teacher.

"I'll tell you later. After you're done here," I replied. Iruka wasn't happy with me answer, but took it for now. We went back into the classroom to find the students yelling at each other once again, I could tell it was going to be a long week…

* * *

><p><strong>Tell me what you think please! Reviews make me happy :D<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**Here's chapter 12! Good news! I'm done school for the summer, so I can wright more :D I have a few new story ideas too, so they might make an appearance this summer. Well I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters. I only own Lark, Mika, Jiro and Hantā.**

* * *

><p>Finally, the first day with the little brats was over. I never thought I'd get out of there. The kids wouldn't shut up and nearly took off both Iruka's and my heads when we did target practice. How hard could it be for them to hit a large, unmoving target!<p>

Also, on top of everything, some of the kids thought it'd be a good idea to play pranks on me all day. They tried numerous of tricks, like putting an easer on top of the door, putting pins on my chair, or switching their names around so I'd get confused. None of the pranks actually got me though, but Iruka wasn't so lucky. Instead of me getting chalk in my hair, Iruka did in my place… I'm so glad I didn't become a sensei.

"Glad for the day to be over Iruka?" I asked the tired looking chunin as I leaned against his desk. Iruka glanced up at me and gave a small nod.

"Too bad we have to come back tomorrow. The kids really drive me up the wall, I have no clue how you can do this everyday," I wondered. It's true though. If I had to deal with the brats everyday, I'd go insane.

"I don't know either, but I guess I just like passing on the Will of Fire to the future generations," replied Iruka. I rolled my eyes and stared hard at the academy teacher.

"Don't tell me you still believe in that "Will of Fire" crap," I scoffed. Iruka looked a bit offended by my remark.

"You don't?" Questioned the chunin. I shook my head in response and made my way for the door.

"You don't need love in order to fight. All you need is the intent to kill and anger towards your victims," I said before reaching the door. Though, before I exited, Iruka stopped me.

"So, you don't fight for anyone you love? What about your 'King'?" Asked Iruka. I just looked straight ahead when I answered, not even taking a second to think before I spoke.

"There is no 'King'. We fight for our own gain and to take anger out on something. We are all just disposable soldiers that the Hokage uses in order for him to keep power," I stated with a bit of anger in my voice. I didn't even have to look at Iruka to tell that he was shock by my claim.

"You really think that?" asked Iruka. My anger grew slightly as I was getting annoyed with the stupid questions.

"Yes I think that and you wont be able to change my mind. Sandaime already tried years ago," I hissed before I left the room, leaving a shocked Iruka behind.

When I arrived back at the apartment, I slammed the door open and slammed even louder when I shut it. I stormed towards the couch and threw myself on it.

I haven't been having the best week so far. Kakashi ditched me, then I got stuck with Guy, I was called old, Itachi is angry with me, I have to teach little kids and now Iruka is upset that I don't believe in the Will of Fire. I can say that I hate my life.

I groaned into my pillow at the thought I Iruka. I forgot that I was supposed to explain everything to him after school was done. Guess I'll talk to him tomorrow… A knocking at the door then interrupted my thoughts.

Slowly, I got up and made my way towards the door. The seal that Kakashi put on it shouldn't be there anymore, since Guy broke it, and I haven't been in the apartment all day, so there was no need for one. Lets just hope my thoughts were right, I have no idea what kind of seal would've been put up.

As I arrived at the door, I took a quick peek through the peep whole and saw the face of someone I didn't really want to talk to right now. Though, I guess I can't turn him away. So with a small, irritated, sigh I opened the door to fully reveal Iruka standing in the hallway.

"What do you want?" I snapped making a small hurt look appear on Iruka's face. I knew I shouldn't have been rude, but I wasn't in the best mood.

"You said you'd explain to me about what's been going on, but you left before we started," replied Iruka. My eyes kept the cold demeanor, that I had when I saw it was Iruka, and I walked back to the couch. Iruka took it as a silent invitation to come in, so he did, shut the door behind him, took his shoes off and came over and sat on the lounge chair.

"I was surprised to find out that you were staying with Kakashi-san. He seemed to be the last person you'd want to live with," began Iruka. Though, I started to talk before he began again.

"Well, he is guarding me until Tsunade deems that I'm able to go off on my own without causing trouble," I said. Iruka seemed slightly confused. He really didn't know anything, so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on him.

"What do you me-," started Iruka, but I raised my hand to stop him.

"I'll explain to you what has happened, but only as much as I want to explain. Also, you will not interrupt until I'm done and if you speak one word of the 'Will of Fire', I'll stop explaining and kick you out. I don't care if I have no chakra, I can still over power you," I threatened. Iruka slowly nodded in agreement. I sighed and began to explain what the Hokage failed to inform Iruka.

"Well, you know that eight years ago I went M.I.A along with Mika, but what you didn't know that I became rouge soon after we were taken," I began. Iruka showed no sign of interrupting.

"I've been working for the Akatsuki for seven years now and when Kakashi's team was sent to rescue Gaara, that's when I was caught," I continued.

"As of a week ago, Tsunade declared that I would become a Leaf ninja after I was deem safe under the watch of Kakashi. Though, as you can see Kakashi isn't here right now so Tsunade placed me with you until further notice," I finished. I waited for Iruka to say something, but the chunin was silent for what felt like ten minutes.

"You can talk now Iruka," I told the silent teacher. Iruka seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and now was staring at me with surprise.

"Y-you were r-rouge?" Stuttered Iruka. I nodded as if it didn't matter. Which it didn't, to me that is.

"Why?" Asked Iruka. My eyes narrowed slightly.

"If I wanted to tell you I would've told you in my explanation," I growled. I probably shouldn't be so mean to Iruka, but I've always hated it when people asked me why I joined the Akatsuki. Deidara asked me once and I flipped shit on him because he kept pestering for an answer.

"Ok. Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," apologized Iruka. Sighing, I gave the chunin a small smile.

"It's alright. I'm just in a bad mood," I replied. Iruka returned my smile and we sat there for a few moments.

The silence was getting to me and I didn't want to talk about the Akatsuki, so I brought up a different topic.

"So, how was I on my first day as a sensei?" I questioned. Iruka took a second to reply since my change in topic caught him off guard.

"You…Um… It's a good thing you don't want to become a sensei," answered the chunin. I looked down slightly and gave a nervous, but friendly smile.

"That bad, huh? Well, at least you wont be stuck with me for long," I giggled. Iruka chuckled in return and the smile in my face brightened some more.

"Yeah, about that. I know you wont be at the academy for long, but you're going to have to wear the proper Leaf ninja uniform," said Iruka. I was slightly taken back. Was Iruka insulting my outfit?

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" I asked while looking down at my outfit. I had on a dark purple tank top that didn't show off any cleavage, a black, high collared jacket, black ninja pants that fitted nicely, black boots that went up to my knees, and gray gloves. What was wrong?

"Well, it's not really professional for someone working at the academy. The students won't take you as a serious jounin if you're wearing normal clothes," replied Iruka, who was actually wearing the proper shinobi attire.

"I don't see anything wrong with wearing what I want. Kurenai doesn't wear the uniform, and it's not like I'm dressed like a slut," I told Iruka. It seemed that Iruka was having a hard time trying to win this argument as he was taking awhile to respond.

"Can you just wear the uniform Lark?" Iruka begged. It looked like he knew he wasn't going to win our little argument.

"Fine, but I don't have one. Also, I'm only doing this because you're my friend," I sighed. Iruka smiled and thought for a moment.

"Well can't you use one of Kakashi's extra uniforms? Or you could use one of mine," offered Iruka.

"I guess I could use Kakashi's. It's not like he'll care and I know how you hate letting other people wear your clothes," I said, slightly teasing the chunin. Iruka looked away for a second and then stood up to take his leave.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," smiled Iruka. I smiled back and nodded. Iruka then walked towards the door, put his shoes back on, and left.

I sighed once the door closed and flopped back onto the couch. That wasn't as bad as I thought I guess. Iruka has always been an accepting guy, so I shouldn't have had nothing to worry about. Though, I was still worried that Iruka might hate now, even if he doesn't show it. Oh well… I have plenty of people who hate me, so one more won't hurt me.

After lying on the couch for a few more minutes, I decided to go raid Kakashi's closet for a uniform. So, I got off the couch and made my way to Kakashi's bedroom. I've only been in here once since my arrival, but I never actually got to look around. Wonder what Kakashi's room looks like.

When I opened the door to Kakashi's room, I expected to see a messy, plain room. Though, it wasn't messy, but it was still plain. The only decorations were three pictures on a shelf on his headboard.

Curious, I went over to examine the pictures. The first one was of him and his students, Sakura, Naruto and a kid who I couldn't place, though he did look familiar. The next one was of his team from when he was a genin. In the picture there was Kakashi, Obito, Rin and Minato-sensei. I frowned at the photo. Both Obito and Minato-sensei were very nice to me and I was actually nice to them. Rin on the other hand bugged the hell out of me. She was obviously in love with Kakashi and couldn't see that Obito loved her. Also, she didn't like me very much, me being Kakashi's fiancé at the time and all. Then the last picture was in the far corner, up against the wall, and cover in dust. It seemed that Kakashi wasn't too fond of this picture if he wouldn't dust it.

I wiped away the layer of dust and what was under it shocked me. It was a photo of my team from when I was younger. Hantā-sensei, Mika-chan, Jiro-kun and I were all in the photo and it puzzled me. Why would Kakashi have a picture of my team? He wasn't a big fan of Mika or Jiro, and he did show respect for Hantā-sensei since she was a good friend with Minato, and then there was me. Kakashi hates me, so why would he have a picture of my team? It didn't make sense. Unless Kakashi felt something other then hatred or respect for someone in that picture… I think I just found a way out of this marriage.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you think! Bye Bye!<strong>


	14. Chapter 13

**Here's chapter 13! hope you guys like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

><p>It has nearly been a week since Kakashi ditched me and I think I'm going insane. The brats at the academy are driving me up the wall! I'd never thought I'd say this but… I want Kakashi back!<p>

Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato had return about a week ago, but stupid Tsunade wont let me be watched by Yamato. Tsunade said that they had their hands full with some Sora kid that I haven't even met yet. It turned out that he had some of the nine-tails in him, which I think is a load of bullshit as there can only be one nine-tails. Then Sai and Naruto got themselves in the hospital trying to "save" Sora. Idiots.

Well, at least Iruka and I are working in the mission room instead of the noisy classroom and I'm not with the team of idiots who would annoy me.

I slammed my head against the desk I was sitting at, and the thud made Iruka look over at me.

"Everything alright Lark-san?" Asked Iruka. I turned my head and looked up at the chunin. Giving the chunin a reassuring smile, I nodded.

"I'm fine. It's just been a long week," I replied. Iruka smiled and shook his head.

"Well, at least it's the weekend. There won't be any academy students here to pester you," stated Iruka. Sighed in relief, but I wondered why Iruka said academy students instead of just kids… My question was soon answered when the door to the mission room flung open.

"I'm ready for my mission!" Yelled a kid, whom I guess was a genin, with brown, spiky hair and a long, blue scarf. Two other genin, a boy and girl, and a man who must be their sensei, then followed the boy.

"Hello Konohamaru. Here's your mission for the day," greeted Iruka as he handed the boy a mission scroll, as I rubbed my throbbing head. The boy tore open the scroll before the rest of his team even made to the desk. As soon as the boy opened the scroll, his smile vanished.

"What? Another D-rank? Why?" Whined Konohamaru. Ii gave the boy a hard look as he kept whining. What did he expect to get! A S-rank?

"How about you stop your whining and be thankful you have a mission, you brat," I growled. The boy didn't seem to notice my presence until now and turned from Iruka to me. Though before he could speak, his sensei interrupted.

"Konohamaru! Just take the mission and let's go. You're only a genin so you get D-rank missions," scolded the sensei.

"But…" Started Konohamaru, but his sensei shushed him and ushered his team out of the room. Both Iruka and I were left there in shock.

"Umm… What just happened?" I questioned when the door fully shut. Iruka shook his head in confusion and then turned to me.

"I guess Ebisu knows about your reputation," answered Iruka. I gave the chunin a strange look.

"Who's Ebisu?" I asked.

"He's a Tokubetsu Jonin. You probably hadn't met him when you were still in the village," responded Iruka. I tilted my head, trying to remember the guy.

"Guess not. Can't remember his name or face. Oh well, he seems creepy anyway, so I don't think I would've liked him," I told Iruka who just chuckled in response. Just then, the door opened again and in came only one shinobi. The man came right up to me.

"The Hokage would like to see you," said the man. I gave the man a confused look.

"Why?" I wondered. The man just shrugged and walked out of the room. I glanced over at Iruka, who was looking over at me.

"Wonder what she wants," I mumbled as I got up and headed for the door.

"Don't be rude Lark. You might just get into more trouble," informed Iruka before I left. I laughed and waved bye to the chunin. Honestly, I'm already in enough trouble as it is, make a few rude remarks wont do anything.

* * *

><p>I didn't even knock before I entered the Hokage's office. Tsunade sat at her desk with a scowl on he face, while he assistant stood behind her.<p>

"You know, if you scowl like that too much, you'll get wrinkles," I teased Tsunade. She didn't seem too happy with my remark, but stopped scowling.

"I wanted to tell you that Kakashi is back in the village and you are to be watched over by him immediately," stated Tsunade. I nodded and looked around the room.

"Where is he then? Do you expect me to go around looking for him? I mean I could hurt someone, since I have _no_ chakra, " I jeered. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"No, you're to meet him at the hospital," instructed the Hokage. I nodded and left the room before she said anything else. I wanted to get to Kakashi and test out my plan to get out of this marriage arrangement.

When I arrived at the hospital, it took me awhile to find Kakashi. The nurse was reluctant to tell me where he was, which I don't understand. Isn't it her job to tell me where people are in the hospital?

Anyway, I ended up asking her where Naruto and Sai were being kept. This, she told with no problem. Nurses… What a hassle.

As I was walking towards Naruto and Sai's room, I heard two familiar voices. When I turned the corner I saw Asuma and Kakashi talking to each other.

"Found you!" I exclaimed as I stomped down the hall. Both jonin gave me a weird glance.

"You can't just make it easy for me to meet up with you? And you leave the village without telling me! What kind of guard are you?" I questioned. Though I didn't expect an answer. Kakashi chuckled slightly and scratched the back of his head.

"Why hello Lark. Nice to see you," greeted Kakashi. I glared at the Copy ninja as he just brushed off my anger.

"Hey Lark," said Asuma. I turned to the older jonin with a smile.

"Hello Asuma. How's it going?" I chatted.

"Same old, same old," responded Asuma. Just as I was about to say something else, another voice joined us.

"There you are," said Kurenai as she walked down the hall towards Asume. Both Kakashi greeted the kunoichi and asked her what she was doing. She said hello back and told us she was just looking for Asuma. I could faintly see the blush on Asuma's face that would go unnoticed by a lot of people.

"So, what was on your mind?" Kakashi asked Asuma. Both Kurenai and I looked over at Asuma, waiting for an answer.

"That's alright. It's something that can wait," Asuma told Kakashi and then left with Kurenai, that left just Kakashi and I.

"What was that all about?" I mumbled as we watched the two jonin walk down the hall.

"Don't know," replied Kakashi, as he turned his attention to me. When he was fully aware of my presence, Kakashi quickly scanned over my body.

"Is that one of my uniforms?" Asked the jonin. I gave a nervous smile as I answered Kakashi.

"Yes… But I needed to wear it since I was working at the academy with Iruka," I explained. Kakashi nodded, but then gave me a surprised look.

"You worked at the academy? And didn't kill any of the students?" Chuckled Kakashi. I didn't appreciate Kakashi's laughing, but I understood why it was funny.

"Yep! I think I did a pretty decent job to," I smiled. Kakashi just rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Let's go see Naruto and Sai," suggested Kakashi. I nodded in agreement as I haven't seen the two for a while now.

When we arrived at Naruto and Sai's room, we found Naruto taking off his bandages and saying how he needed to train. How did he expect to train in his condition? It looked like he wouldn't even be able to walk very far.

"Hold on there. For right now, your training is to heal those injuries," stated Kakashi. Naruto tried to protest, but it didn't get him very far, since Kakashi scared him.

"I'd take the time off if I were you blondie. Training while injured hurts like a bitch," I told Naruto. My voice caught the blond's attention and he looked over at me with a smile.

"Lark! Where have you been?" Asked Naruto. I shrugged and waved the boy off.

"Here and there, but I'll be around more often now since Kakashi's back," I answered. Naruto smiled and I believe I heard Sakura scoff in annoyance at the news of my sticking around. I don't think pinkie and I will ever get along.

Both Kakashi and I left the hospital and made our way to the Hokage's office, which I was a little annoyed with. If Kakashi had to come here anyway, then why didn't we meet here instead of the hospital? I'll never understand Kakashi's meeting habits.

* * *

><p>When we arrived in front of the office doors, Kakashi told me to wait outside. I protested, but I didn't win. Well, I would of if Kakashi didn't leave in the middle of the fight. So, I pressed my ear against the door and listened closely.<p>

I didn't get much, since my hearing was weaker with no chakra. Though, I got that the Akatsuki was headed for the Fire country. That only meant one thing to me. I'm going to die.

Either literally or metaphorically, I'm going to die. That Akatsuki most likely believe I betrayed them, and told the Leaf everything. Well, I'll just stay clear of them for now and hope that the members coming aren't Itachi, Jiro or Mika.

"I also think that Lark should get her chakra back," I heard Kakashi say through the door. I then heard Tsunade agree after a moment. My eyes lit up with joy. I'm getting my chakra back! The news made me sooo happy that I started to do a little dance.

"Lark, What are you doing?" Asked Kakashi when he opened the door. I froze where I was and looked over at Kakashi.

"N-nothing," I stuttered as I went back to a normal stance. Luckily, Kakashi had shut the door before Tsunade saw me dancing around as well.

"You were eavesdropping," stated Kakashi as he started to laugh at my recent happy dance. Quickly, I looked away from the jonin and didn't respond.

"I know you heard us talking about you getting your chakra back," said Kakashi. This time I couldn't help but smile. So, I turned back to Kakashi with a huge smile on my face and started to jump up and down. There are times when I act more like 5 year old then a 25 year old.

"I'm getting my chakra back!" I sang as I continued to jump. Kakashi was still laughing at my reaction, but stopped suddenly for some reason.

"Is something the matter?" I asked the jonin. I stopped jumping now and just stared at Kakashi as he stared at me. It was silent for a moment as I waited for Kakashi to speak, and Kakashi seemed to be thinking of something.

"It's nothing. Lets get back to the apartment and get your chakra back," responded Kakashi. The jonin brushed past me and headed for the exit, but I stood there for another second. Why is Kakashi acting so strange? He never acted like this eight years ago…

I shook off the thought and went after Kakashi. It was no big deal. Kakashi's just an odd person.

* * *

><p>It was dark when we arrived back at the apartment. The first thing I did when we entered the room was rush for my room and changed in to my pajamas. I was glad to be rid of the silly uniform, and it didn't help that it was too big for me. So, I changed quickly and went back to the living room, but stopped when I passed Kakashi's room.<p>

The Copy ninja was standing at his bed, holding the picture of my team. From a distance I could tell that a new layer of dust had begun to form, but you could still clearly make out the people in the photo.

"I was going to ask you about that. Why do you have a picture of my team from when I was younger?" I asked Kakashi. The silver haired man shrugged and set the picture down.

"Not sure actually," answered Kakashi. I smirked, as I knew why he had the picture.

"Maybe you have it to remember someone special to you," I sang. Kakashi gave me a sideways glance before responding.

"You think?" wondered Kakashi. I just rolled my eyes and walked further into the room.

"Well, of course. That's why people have pictures," I teased. Kakashi smirked a bit under his mask and fully turned towards me.

"I guess so…" Trailed the jonin as he stared at me again.

"You don't have to worry though. You'll have the real thing soon enough! Though, you'll have to get by the boyfriend first. If he's still alive that is," I laughed. Though, Kakashi didn't laugh with me. Instead he looked rather confused.

"Boyfriend?" Questioned Kakashi. I gave myself a mental face palm. I forgot that didn't know anything about the personal lives of the Akatsuki.

"Well… Jiro sort of has a boyfriend, and you'd have a hard time splitting them. Since they love each other and I like them together. Jiro and Dei are just so kawaii!" I giggled. Kakashi's eyes just shot wide open.

"Jiro? What on earth are you talking about?" Exclaimed Kakashi. My smile dropped as I gave Kakashi a confused look.

"Isn't that who you like?" I asked. Kakashi shook his head so fast I though it would of fallen off.

"NO! What made you think that?" Shouted the now embarrassed jonin. I sweat dropped at my own mistake.

"I thought since you have a picture of my team and you being gay…" I ranted, but Kakashi stopped me.

"You thought I was gay?" fretted Kakashi. I nodded slowly, fearing that Kakashi might want to tear off my head.

"Aren't you?" I asked slowly. Kakashi took a deep breathe before answering.

"No, I'm not. I don't know why you thought that," answered Kakashi. I looked away from Kakashi, a bit embarrassed at myself. So, much for that plan…

"Sorry Kakashi. I got caught up thinking that if you were gay, we wouldn't have to get married," I mumbled. Kakashi just sighed and shook his head. We stood there until I broke the silence.

"Guess I have to come up with a new plan, don't I?" I laughed. Kakashi's eyes widened in worry as I began think about my next plan. I left the room still in thought, ignoring Kakashi's protests behind me.

"Secrect lover? Umm… Sterile? No… Bastard child! That's it!" I exclaimed as I turned to Kakashi, who nearly fell at my statement.

"NO! No, bastard child!" Yelled Kakashi as he regained his balance. My shoulders slumped as I frowned. I thought that was a pretty good idea. Well, back to the drawing board!

"Before you come up with anymore crazy ideas. Lets give you back your chakra," insisted Kakashi. My eyes lit up and I nodded like a happy little 5 years old.

Kakashi sat me down on the couch as he performed the necessary hand signals. I was so happy! I was getting my chakra back. I could use my Kokoro no ressun again. Though, that meant that I'd suffer from insomnia again… Oh well!

After Kakashi finished the hand signs, I felt a warm sensation fill my body. A heavy feeling then appeared in my right eye as my Kokoro no ressun reactivated. My chakra was definitely back. So, I decided to test it.

I thought it'd be a good idea to just try out my ninjutsu and leave my genjutsu for another time since it took a lot out of me. So, a made a small hand signal and a spark of electricity formed from my fingertips. I smiled up at Kakashi as I played with the small sparks. Now I can actually do something other then just laze around.

"Remember Lark. You still have to be on good behaviour or I'll take your chakra again and this time you might be imprisoned," warned the jonin. I rolled my eyes and continued to play with my small sparks.

"Lark…" Tested Kakashi. I looked up at Kakashi with a bored look.

"I'll be good," I told Kakashi. He seemed happy with my response and started for his room.

"That is if I'm not provoked," I added. I chuckled as I heard Kakashi sigh in the hallway. He had to have expected that. Like come on, I have one of the shortest tempers in the Fire country. Trouble is bound to find me.

* * *

><p><strong>Tell me what you thought please! :D<strong>


	15. Chapter 14

**Hi there! Here's chapter 14. I'm sorry if it isn't very good, I just seemed to have a hard time writing it... Well I hope you like :)**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

><p>"Stupid insomnia," I hissed to myself. It was about one in the morning and here I am, sitting on my bed with my eyes open. Having my chakra back was a good thing, but the insomnia wasn't. If only the Kokoro no ressun had a different side effect, like migraines. That way I'd at least be able to sleep them off.<p>

Knowing I wasn't going to get any sleep that night, I got up and changed into a black off-shoulder shirt and regular ninja pants. If I wasn't going to sleep I thought I should at least do something other then lay in bed.

Quietly, I tip toed down the hallway and past Kakashi's room, making my way for the door. Though, when I passed Kakashi's room, I stopped. There was now chakra coming from the man's room and I couldn't hear his thoughts. Oh well… He's probably just masking everything.

I started to walk again and arrived at the door. As I was pulling on my boots, I realized something… Kakashi most likely sealed the door!

"Damn!" I whispered. I started to take my boots off when I thought of an idea. Since I have my chakra back, I can read what sort of seal it is. So, I closed my eyes and focused on the door. Too my surprise, there was no seal. Kakashi either really trusts me or was just too damn lazy to put one up. I'm going to guess the latter.

After putting my boots on, I made my way out of the apartment and out of the building. I wasn't certain of where I wanted to go, so I let my feet walk whichever way they wanted. As I walked, I got lost in my own thoughts. Mostly about the last conversation I had with Itachi.

He wouldn't have hurt Jiro or Mika, would he? I guess he's fully capable of doing that, with his Sharingan and all. At least I know he didn't kill them, because if he did I'd be the first to know. I'll have to be careful when I see him again. That is if I ever leave the Leaf village.

"Why don't I leave right now? They don't have anything keeping me here," I questioned myself. Thinking it over a few times, I decided to head for the village gates, but my feet had stopped moving before I told them to move a different way.

Looking up, I saw where my feet lead me. It was the Memorial Stone and I wasn't alone. There was a tall, shadowy figure standing in front of the stone and it seemed that they didn't know I was there. It was odd to see someone out this late, but then again, I'm out here as well.

Thinking it was rude to be there while the person mourned the dead, I turned to leave.

"I know you're there Lark," said the voice. Turning back around, I looked towards the figure.

"What are you doing out here so late, Kakashi?" I asked as I walked up beside the jonin. Kakashi shrugged and then looked at me.

"I could be asking you the same question. You're not aloud anywhere without supervision," stated Kakashi. I huffed and glanced at the man with a slight glare.

"You're supposed to watch me, but here you are at the Memorial Stone, leaving me alone in a un-sealed apartment," I mumbled. Kakashi didn't say anything in return; he just stared at the names engraved on the stone.

I did the same, letting my eyes scan the many names. The name "Aoi Mayumi" intruded my line of sight, but I quickly scanned over it before my eyes fully stopped to mourn the person the name belonged to. There was no way in hell I was going to feel sorry for that bastard.

Again, I scanned further down the list of names and finally stopped at the one I was looking for. "Hantā Hatsuharu".

I bowed my head down, making my blonde-teal hair act like at curtain around my pale face. It hurt me to think back to that person, but I couldn't help but think about the memories. Hantā-sensei was basically more of a parent then my own father was. When I upset or angry, Hantā-sensei was always there. To think that it was only nine years ago when she was killed.

"You can talk about it if you want," offered Kakashi who was probably looking at the same name I was. I thought for a second, but then shook my head, feeling tears forming. It's not like Kakashi wouldn't understand, since he lost his sensei too, but I didn't really like opening up to people. Mika and Jiro haven't even seen me cry before and they're my best friends, but I never talk about tear jerking moments with them. Actually, nobody except Hantā-sensei has seen me cry and I'm not going to add Kakashi to that list.

There was another silence, but this time we didn't just stand there. I felt fingers brush against my forehead and moved my bangs, revealing my right eye. Looking to the side I saw Kakashi looking straight at me. For a second I thought about letting Kakashi be, my mind telling me that the contact was something I wanted and needed. Though, I re-thought it and decided other wise.

A loud smacking sound interrupted the silence as I slapped Kakashi's hand away. There was a flash of disappointment in Kakashi's eye, but I ignored it as I glared at the older jonin.

"Ever hear of personal space!" I snapped. The disappointment vanished from Kakashi's eye and he then wore the same lazy look he always has.

"It seemed that you needed to be comforted," replied Kakashi in his laid back tone. I glared even harder at the jonin before tuning my head away form him.

"Well, I don't need comforting. Especially not from you," I growled as I started to walk away. Though, before I got to far, Kakashi's voice stopped me.

"You'd rather be comforted by Itachi, right?" Questioned Kakashi. That made me stop dead in my tracks. My eyes widened as far as they could as I quickly faced Kakashi, only to be faced with his back.

"What are you talking about? Why would I want Itachi comforting me?" I asked in return. Kakashi turned to face me and gave me a lazy look.

"You mumble his name from time to time when you're asleep," answered Kakashi. I stared at the man in shock. Do I really do that? Mumbling Itachi's name was something I never thought I'd ever do. Unless I mumbled it when we had our mind conversations.

"Listen, I don't want Itachi comforting me. The idea of him touching me is disgusting," I told Kakashi. Though, the silver-haired jonin didn't seem to buy it.

"Then why mumble his name?" Asked Kakashi as he came closer to me. His uncovered eye was staring straight into my left one. Feeling very uncomfortable, I broke the eye contact.

"There are reasons, but liking Itachi in anyway isn't one of them," I replied. My voice didn't sound as threatening now as it did a few moments ago, and Kakashi staring down at me made me feel very vulnerable.

"Tell me," ordered Kakashi as he grabbed my chin, making me look at him. Though, I turned my gaze to the side so I wouldn't have to look him in the eye.

"No," I simply stated. It wasn't Kakashi's business too know way I was mumbling Itachi's name.

"Lark," growled Kakashi, as his grip on my chin got tighter. The jonin's grip was starting to hurt and if he gripped any tighter I'm sure to have bruises.

"Just stay out of my business!" I yelled. I swatted Kakashi's hand away, making him lose his grip. I then shoved him as hard as I could, but he was able to grab a hold of my waist before I gave him a full forced, electric shove.

"Why do you care so much? You didn't give a fucking damn about me eight years ago!" I shouted. Kakashi's eye narrowed as he tried to stop me from thrashing around in his arms.

"Didn't care? I was worried sick when you went missing!" Responded Kakashi. I stopped thrashing around at Kakashi's words. When Kakashi thought I wasn't going to move anymore, he loosened his hold. Just as he did, I sprang from his arms and punched him in the jaw.

"Yeah right you fucking bastard! You don't give a shit about me and I don't give a shit about you either!" I hollered. Kakashi didn't say anything as he rubbed his jaw. So, I continued to yell.

"You didn't even try to look for me when Mika and I went missing. You didn't even try to be a bit nice when Hantā-sensei died!" I screamed. Tears threatened to fall, but I wouldn't let them. There was no way I was going to show weakness.

Kakashi didn't say anything again. He only stared at me with guilty eyes. Damn! This guy made me so frustrated! He wasn't even trying to defend himself!

"When Obito, Rin, Minato and your father died, I tried to be nice to each for each of their deaths. But when someone close to me died, you just said sorry and walked away. How are we supposed to marry if you don't care one fucking bit?" I questioned, but again Kakashi said nothing.

"Fine! If you want to just stand there and say nothing, go ahead! I don't care!" I said finishing my rant. My chest heaved up and down; my breathing had become heavy do to all the yelling. Kakashi still stood there, not evening stopping me as I started to walk away.

"_I should just leave this god forsaken village," _I thought as I walked onto the main road. Though, if I did leave, then the Leaf would kill me. Then who would look out for Jiro and Mika? Certainly no one in the Akatsuki. Well, they may spare Jiro because of his Kekkei Genkai, but Mika would be a goner.

If I leave then I'll have a better chance at defending my friends. So, that should be a good reason, right? Well, if it is then my entire body thought otherwise. I just couldn't tell myself to walk towards the village gate. Why? Why couldn't I do it? There wasn't anything for me here, so why?

"It's because I'm scared," I whispered. It wasn't like I was scared of being killed. Actually, I'd probably welcome death with open arms and then I won't cause trouble for anyone. No, I was scared of my friends shunning me because I left them. There was also a bit a fear of seeing Itachi again. He'd certainly hurt me if we ever crossed paths.

I found myself back at Kakashi apartment. Sighing, I entered the room and headed for my bedroom. Kakashi wasn't back yet, and for that I was glad. I don't think I could have faced him right now. Lets just hope we get along better tomorrow…

* * *

><p><strong>That's it! Hope you liked it and please tell me what you think! I might have the next chapter out tomorrow :)<strong>


	16. Chapter 15

**Here's chapter 15! Hope you guys like it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Slowly, I opened my tired eyes. The sun streamed into my room, making my eyes sting slightly. It seemed that the sun was extra bright this morning, which was strange. Wait a sec…<p>

I bolted out of my bed and ran to my window, gazing up at the sun. The sun was too high in the sky for it too be morning. Looking towards my clock, I saw that it read 11:50 am. Kakashi and I were supposed to meet Yamato and Naruto at 10!

Having fallen asleep in the clothes I put on last night, I didn't bother to change. So, I sprinted to the bathroom and brush my hair and teeth. Unfortunately, my hair decided to be difficult, so I ended up putting it in a high ponytail.

When I exited the bathroom I went straight to Kakashi's room. Walking straight in, and threw my brush at his bed without even looking. Though, when I heard no sound expect for a soft 'thud', I looked to find Kakashi's bed empty. I left to look in the kitchen/living room to find Kakashi not there either.

"Where the hell is he?" I asked myself. Shrugging it off for a minute, I went back to my room to retrieve my leaf headband. I thought about tying it around my thigh like I've been doing for the past couple of weeks, but thought better of it and tied it around my right eye. My Kokoro no ressun didn't use up as much chakra when it was fully covered by thick material.

Entering the living room again, I still found no Kakashi. Then it dawned on me…

"That fucking bastard left me behind!" I yelled at no one. Rushing to the door, I pulled on my boots and reached for the door handle. Though, when I grabbed hold of the handle, I felt a shock run up my arm, making me let go.

"What the…" I started. I tried the handle again, only to be shock for a second time. Kakashi sealed the door! He didn't want me to go with him! Well too bad for him, there was no way I was staying in this apartment until he came back.

Instead of trying to undo the unknown seal, I went towards the window. There was a chance that Kakashi didn't seal the windows. He knew I didn't like going through windows, so I wouldn't think he'd seal them.

Shutting my eyes, I unlocked the only window in the living room. There was nothing stopping me, so I opened it a little. Still there was nothing. Deeming the window safe to use, I open it all the way. I was greeted with a small breeze as I poked my head out.

Looking down, I saw how far I had to jump. The apartment was on the third floor, so I had to jump three flights. In all my life, I was never one for heights. Stupid fear for a ninja, huh? Well, I was a spy in both the Akatsuki and when I was still a Leaf kunoichi. Being a spy didn't exactly mean climbing to great heights when you can read minds. I know I rode on the backs of my summons, but I was usually distracted by something and I always refused to look down

Taking a deep breath, I jumped from the window. I landed with a slight stumble, but caught myself before it affected my stance too much. I released the breath I was holding and looked up to the window that was left wide open.

"I guess I should shut it…" I mumbled. I brought my thumb up to my mouth and bit down hard, making it bleed. When I was satisfied with the amount of blood sliding down my thumb, I did the necessary hand signs for the summoning jutsu. A puff of smoke appeared, and when it cleared, a small bat could be seen.

"Hello Lark-san!" Squeaked the small bat. I smiled down at the little bat and held out my hand. The bat flew up and gently clung from my hand, making sure not to dig her claws in too far.

"Hello there Kiki," I greeted the small bat as she swung upside down on my hand. Out of all my summons, Kiki had to be my favourite. Not only was she small and adorable, she was also very helpful even when she might be too small for the job. Also, she was great company.

"What do you need Kiki for Lark-san?" Asked Kiki. Her ears twitched from side to side and her eyes were slightly squinted because of the bright sun.

"I have two jobs for you actually. One is that I need you to go up and close that window on the third floor and then I need you to find Kakashi for me," I told the little bat. Kiki squeaked in response and quickly flew up to close the window. That was another good thing about Kiki; she didn't ask questions. If it had been any of my other summons, they would be teasing me about my height fear and be asking me about Kakashi.

It wasn't long until Kiki flew back down. The small bat was huffing slightly as she landed onto hand.

"Are you alright Kiki-chan?" I asked the small bat. Kiki looked up at me and gave me a big smile.

"Yep yep! Kiki is just fine," giggled the bat. I smiled back at Kiki and held her up to my ear. Kikki then shrunk to an even smaller size and gripped onto my left ear as if she was an earring. You see, Kiki had the ability to shrink to any size, which made her great for spying.

"Now to find Kakashi-baka!" Happily exclaimed Kiki. I laughed at Kiki's little nickname for Kakashi. Ever since the small she-bat met Kakashi, she made a habit of calling him baka every time she said his name.

Kiki just used her sonar to locate Kakashi; she didn't even need to leave my ear. Every time she wanted me to turn, she'd just whisper it in my ear.

After about 10 minutes, we finally arrived to where Kakashi was. He wasn't alone; he was also with Yamato and Naruto. Though, Yamato was using his jutsu to control Naruto, and Naruto was… Playing in the water?

"Do you need Kiki for anything else?" Asked Kiki. I shook my head slightly so I wouldn't disturb the small bat on my ear.

"No, but you can stay with me if you like," I told Kiki. I could hear the small, black bat giggle and "ok" into my ear as I walked towards Kakashi.

When I got close enough, I smacked the Copy-ninja on the back of the head. Kakashi gripped his head in pain, while Kiki giggled, and I stood there and gave the older jonin a cold glare.

"Why didn't you wake me up? You know I hate being late," I questioned Kakashi. The silver-haired man was still rubbing his head in pain as he gave me a confused look.

"How did you-," started Kakashi, but I cut him off.

"How did I get out of the apartment? Well I jumped out the window. If you're going to lock someone inside, at least block all the exits," I told Kakashi while crossing my arms. I turned away from Kakashi and looked towards Yamato.

"Good morning, Yamato-san," I smiled towards the wood-nin. Yamato gave me a quick glance.

"Good morning, Lark-san," greeted Yamato, returning my smile. Kakashi grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the other jonin.

"What are you doing?" I hissed at Kakashi as he pulled me farther from the two other shinobi. When we were quite a ways away from the others, Kakashi let go of me and turned to face me.

"Don't you understand that when the door's sealed that means stay in the apartment?" Growled Kakashi. I blinked a few times before I gave Kakashi one of my famous smirks.

"You really believed that I was going to stay in a small apartment all day? Really Kakashi, I thought you knew me better then that," I chuckled with Kiki laughing with me.

"Besides, you're supposed to watch me, not lock me inside all day," I laughed. Kakashi didn't find it funny and gave me a serious look.

"Well, it can be arranged that you are locked up," mumbled Kakashi. I stopped laughing and stared wide eyed at the jonin.

"What?" I asked with slight confusion. What was wrong with Kakashi today? He seemed somewhat off.

"I said that it can be arranged that you are locked up," repeated Kakashi. I still stared at the man with wide, confused eyes Kakashi was being very cold to me right know and I didn't know why.

"What's the matter with you today?" I questioned the Copy ninja. Kakashi just looked away from and began to walk back to the others.

"Why do you care?" Responded Kakashi. I ran up beside Kakashi in order to keep talking.

"I care because if you're in a bad mood, that means I'm going to suffer because I'm always around you," I answered. Kakashi stopped right there and turned to face me.

"Like I care about you," hissed the jonin. Kakashi then started to walk again, but I stayed glued to my spot. He was angry about last night? Why though? It should be me who's mad! I mean he was uncaring to me, not the other way around!

Growling, I started to walk back to the others. Kiki had stayed silent which I was thankful for. I didn't need to be answering unnecessary questions from the small bat.

When I got back to our small group, Kakashi was just standing there reading his pervy book. I was curious to what Naruto was doing, but I didn't want to talk to Kakashi and Yamato seemed busy. So, instead I read Naruto's mind.

Without the nine-tails in control it was so much easier to get inside the blonde's mind. He seemed really focused on something and it took me a sec to figure out what it was. I then found it in a few seconds. It seemed like he was trying to cut the waterfall in half.

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed. Both Kakashi and Yamato gave me strange looks. I sweat dropped as I waved to them nervously. Kakashi rolled his eye as he looked away and Yamato just turned his attention back to Naruto.

"If he's trying to cut the waterfall, why doesn't he have more clones?" Asked Kiki. I thought for a moment.

"He probably needs all the chakra he can get, and having more clones isn't going to solve that," I answered. Kiki just responded with a small 'oh' before I heard light snoring coming from her. I sighed when I realized Kiki was asleep. To be honest, I was jealous of the small she-bat's ability to fall asleep so quickly.

Some time had passed and Naruto was nowhere close to stopping the flow of the waterfall. I'd emit that watching the boy struggle was fun for a bit, but after awhile it got boring. I would try to talk to either Yamato or Kakashi, but I didn't think they'd want to talk. Kiki would be nice to talk to, but she had to go back to her home. So, here I am, lying on the ground in the shade, while Kakashi gets a fucking couch to lie on!

I glare at the silver-haired jonin out of the corner of my eye. That bastard hadn't said a word to me since our little argument, and it was driving me batty!

Finally, I had enough of this silence and got up off the ground. I walked over to where Kakashi was and stood over him while he read his book. He didn't acknowledge me at first, but I could tell he knew I was there because I could tell that his muscles tightened a bit when I arrived.

"What do you want Lark?" Lazily asked Kakashi as he moved his book from his face. His expression didn't change when he looked into my glaring eye.

"I want to talk," I stated, my voice have a hint of irritation. Kakashi just sighed and returned to his reading.

"Kakashi," I growled. The jonni sighed again and this time closed his book and sat up, making room for me on the wooden couch. I sat down without an invitation to, but as soon as I sat down, Kakashi moved to the far end of the couch. This way there was no chance of us touching.

"What do you want to talk about?" Asked Kakashi. I was silent for a moment, trying to remember what I was going to say.

"I want to talk about last night," I told Kakashi. If Kakashi looked at me, I couldn't tell since his left side was facing me and it was covered with his mask and headband.

"I think you made yourself perfectly clear last night, so there's no need to talk about it," said Kakashi. That just made me glare even more.

"If I was so clear, then why are you mad at me?" I questioned. It seemed that Kakashi was struggling to respond, so it took him a minute to answer.

"I'm mad because you're right," mumbled Kakashi. I looked towards the jonin in shock. Kakashi was emitting that I was right?

"Then why are you mad at me?" I repeated. Kakashi hadn't really answer my question.

"I just told you. I'm mad because you're right," snapped Kakashi. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"I know what you said, but it doesn't make sense," I told him. Kakashi didn't say anything for a second as he thought over his words.

"I guess it's because I hate being wrong," replied Kakashi. I gave Kakashi a "are you kidding" look.

"Really? That's why you're mad? You have such an ego," I scoffed as I leaned back and crossed both my arms and my legs. Kakashi gave a nervous chuckle, which made be think that his ego wasn't the main problem, but I wasn't going to push it. The answer Kakashi gave me was good enough for now, and I can always get the real one later.

Another hour had passed, and I was stating to get tired. The 4 hours of sleep I got last night were catching up to me. Since I had two weeks of perfect sleep, my body wasn't used to the tiredness. My eyes were starting to get heavy, and the world around me seemed to become hazy. I must of fell asleep at some point because all I saw was blackness after awhile.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! Please tell me what you thought about please :) <strong>


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16! Hope you enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

><p><em>Tears were streaming down my fear filled eyes. It takes a lot to make me scared and even more to make tears fall. Though, the pain I was going through now was enough to take out even the strongest of shinobi.<em>

"_P-please s-stop," I croaked. My throat was burning and felt like it was tearing from the inside out. Water would've been nice, but my captor was just a sick bastard and had denied me food or water for days. It felt like I've been in the pain for over a month, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. If I'm in this much pain, I hate to think of what Mika is being put through._

_My captor had just laughed at my pathetic plea. The laugh made me look at the man's face. All I could see was a cold, red eye that gave me the creeps. Though, as soon as I glanced at the red eye, a new wave of pain hit me. I let out a loud groan, not being able to scream anymore. When I fell quiet once more, the man came over and crouched in front of me._

"_Do you want me to stop?" Asked my captor. He grabbed my chin in his cold hands, making me look him in the eye. Usually, I would have made some smart remark, but I was too drained to even lift a finger. So, instead I slowly nodded, but the movement shot pain down my neck._

"_We have a deal then? Remember, I could always put you in more pain, and I haven't forgotten about your friend Mika," informed the red eyed man. I sat there for a moment, thinking over my options. If I agreed then I'd betray my village and most likely be killed at some point, but Mika would still be alive. If I didn't agree, this man would surely kill both Mika and I. So, in both cases I'm losing my life, except my friend only dies in one of them. I want Mika to live, so that only leaves one option…_

"_I'll do it," I whispered._

I woke up with a small jolt. Both my eyes were wide and I could feel that my hands were slightly shaking. It took me a moment to reorganize myself and register my surroundings. When I was fully aware what was happening around me, I felt something petting my head. Looking, I saw Kakashi reading his book and petting my hair. Then I realized that my head was lying in Kakashi's lap.

Again my eyes widened and I shot up into a standing position. Kakashi looked surprised at my sudden movement and gave me a questionable stare; the hand he was petting me with was still in the air.

"Are you alright Lark?" Questioned the silver haired jonin as he set his hand down.

"I was alright until I found out someone was petting me!" I exclaimed, gaining unwanted attention from Yamato who was still using his jutsu to control Naruto. I gave the wood-nin a nervous wave before he turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Well, you were shaking in your sleep and when I started petting you, the shaking seemed to stop," replied Kakashi. I gave the jonin a small glare.

"So, you were comforting me? I thought I told you not to do that," I hissed at Kakashi. The man just shrugged and went back to his book, but not before saying something.

"Say what you want Lark, but if you want it or not, I'm going to comfort you," said Kakashi. I glared even harder at the masked shinobi and then plopped down on the ground. There was no way I was going to sit near that creep right now. Though, guess I'll still talk to him.

"How's the brat doing anyway? Has he gotten any better?" I asked Kakashi as I looked up at the many Narutos.

"He's getting there, but it'll take time," answered Kakashi. I nodded in understanding. Naruto then started yelling down at Kakashi.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Maybe I need more Shadow Clones!" Shouted the blond. My eyebrows rose at the mention of more clones. Is this kid suicidal or something? I mean he's already looking tired to the point of collapse.

"What you need is to transform a massive amount of chakra into wind to cut that waterfall. Make too many Shadow Clones and each ones chakra will be that much weaker. Besides, that waterfall is barely big enough for the ten of you," Kakashi told Naruto. As soon as Kakashi said that, all the Narutos began to complain. Kakashi then went on to further explain what Naruto was supposed to be doing. Again, Naruto started to complain and after hearing Kakashi sigh in annoyance, I lost my little patience.

"Listen ya brat! If you want all the time you can get, stop complaining. You're not going to surpass anyone with that attitude, it won't matter how fast you're moving along!" I snapped at the genin. Naruto gave me a shocked look as if he wasn't expecting me to say anything, but then that look of shock turned to one of determination.

"Sasuke's the one I want to catch up with!" Hollered Naruto. I gave the boy a curious look. Who was Sasuke? While I was trying to place the name to a face, Kakashi got up and whispered something into Yamato's ear. A look mixed with exhaustion and annoyance appeared on Yamato's face after Kakashi was done talking. The wood-nin then did a few hand signals that caused the waterfall to become wider and the tree platform to become longer.

"Yamato! Are you alright?" I asked the jonin as he bent over in exhaustion. I went over to Yamato and crouched down beside him as he was sucking in air.

"I'm fine, really," coughed the wood-nin. Paying no attention to Naruto's reaction to the new landscape, I began rubbing Yamato's back in hopes that it'll make him feel better. It took a while, but Yamato's breathing soon returned to normal. Well, close to it at least…

After sitting beside Yamato for a few more minutes, I moved to sit close to the wooden couch where Kakashi was lounging again. Ignoring the jonin at first, I sat on the ground and leaned my back against the middle of the couch.

"So, you did take Hantā-sensei's words to heart," stated Kakashi while not even looking at me. Glancing at Kakashi from the corner of my left eye, I gave the jonin a small scowl at the mention of my sensei.

"Of course I took sensei's words to heart. She taught me more then my father ever could," I said. It was true though, Hantā-sensei did teach me a lot.

"Maa… I'm guessing that she also taught you to be kind to others?" Asked Kakashi. My scowl turned into a smile as I replied to Kakashi.

"No, I'm always nice, but only to people I like. As you can see Yamato's someone I like, you on the other hand is someone I could do without," I teased. Kakashi pretended to act hurt, but he wasn't much of an actor. So, I just laughed at his attempt, but then I got wondering about that Sasuke guy.

"Who's this Sasuke kid that Naruto mentioned before?" I questioned Kakashi. The masked ninja didn't seem very happy about the topic change and you could instantly feel the atmosphere change from teasing to serious.

"Sasuke was an old teammate of Naruto's and one of my students," said Kakashi. I titled my head in curiosity.

"What happened? Was he killed?" I wondered out loud. Kakashi shook his head and took a second before answering.

"No. He left the village to train under Orochimaru in order to become strong enough to kill his older brother," explained Kakashi. My eyes widen at Orochimaru's name. Suddenly this story was sounding familiar.

"This wont happen to be Itachi's little brother, right?" I guessed. Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at my assumption.

"Yeah, but how did you-," started Kakashi, but I cut him off before he finished.

"Orochimaru was part of the Akatsuki and Itachi told me a bit about it, but I just didn't know the kid's name," I informed Kakashi. The silver-haired man gave me a slow nod before going back to his reading. I sat there and thought over things about Orochimaru.

What I knew about Orochimaru was that he was one of the three sanin and loved to do experiments on humans. Before Itachi had joined the Akatsuki, the creepy snake nearly made me one of his lab rats as he found my Kokoro no ressun very interesting. Though, I refused to go along with his experiments and he soon moved on to Itachi.

* * *

><p>Nightfall soon came over us and it was time to finish training for the day. Naruto didn't seem too happy with how his training was going. The genin just lied down on his blanket and sulked about the day. I had sat beside Yamato after he had released his jutsu. The poor jonin was exhausted and seemed to have a hard time taking in air.<p>

"Maybe you should go to sleep, Yamato. You're exhausted," I told Yamato whowas coughing beside me.

"I'm… Fine…" Breathed Yamato. Again I started to rub the poor jonin's back, hoping to relieve any stress the man had. Whenever Jiro, Mika and I trained when we were younger, I would often give one of them a small massage after an intense training exercise.

Kakashi had gone over to the sulking Naruto and tried to lift his spirits up, but the boy wasn't having it. Naruto thought that they should still be train every moment they had and his thought made me a bit upset.

"Would you please consider other people for a minute! Yamato is on his last breath and you want to keep going? Talk about selfish!" I shouted at the blond as I continued to massage Yamato's back. Both Naruto and Kakashi looked over at me and after glancing at Yamato, Naruto gave a rather freaked out look.

"You can be really creepy you know," murmured Naruto. I rolled my eyes at the boy and began to ignore him for the rest of the night. After another minute, I left Yamato alone when I thought he had gotten some life back into him and went to go lay on my blanket.

I just stared up at the night sky, not really thinking about anything. I knew that I wouldn't be getting any sleep that night since I slept during the day. So, I didn't do anything but lie there, and waited for everyone to fall asleep. When I thought that everyone was asleep, I got up and made my way towards the bottom of the waterfall. I dipped my hand in the water and watched the small ripples disappear when they got to far away.

"Planning on electrifying the water?" Asked Kakashi as he came up behind me. I gave a small jolt though when I heard the man's voice as I didn't hear him coming up behind me.

"No, just playing in the water. I wont electrify it unless someone's in it," I smirked towards Kakashi. The Copy ninja rolled his visible eye and sat down beside me.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked Kakashi as he just sat there.

"Maybe, but so should you," answered Kakashi as he looked at me. I just scoffed and pointed to my right eye.

"Insomnia. So, I have an excuse, you don't," I replied. Kakashi gave a slight chuckle and turned back to look at the waterfall.

"Thought you'd want some company," decided Kakashi. I gave the jonin another glare. It was probably the fifth glare I've gave that day and most of them were directed at the man sitting beside me. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.

"Wait a second… If we're sleeping outside that means… You were going to leave me alone in that crummy apartment until you were done with Nartuto!" I accused the masked man. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and move a bit a ways from me. He was most likely afraid I was going to hit him.

"I would've come by to check on you," chuckled Kakashi nervously. I didn't by it.

"Yeah, but then something would've of happened like a dragon came and took you to his cave," I grumbled. A thoughtful look then appeared in Kakashi's uncovered eye.

"Well, with my luck that could happen," laughed Kakashi. My glare became harder as Kakashi continued to laugh. Soon, I got annoyed with the Copy nin and whacked him on the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" groaned Kakashi as he grabbed at his head. I gave a satisfied smirked when I saw I caused Kakashi pain.

"You were pissing me off," I simply stated. Kakashi gave me a lazy look.

"I'm always the one who seems to piss you off," mentioned the masked jonin.

"You are," I smiled while getting up off the ground. Kakashi then followed my action and we both made are way the fire. Our conversation was officially finished when we both lay down to sleep. Well, Kakashi did at least. I laid down just for the hell of it.

Maybe I'll talk to Jiro. I haven't heard his voice for a while, but maybe I shouldn't… Fuck it! It's not like they can track my mind conversations.

"_Jiro? You there? Hello?"_ I questioned Jiro who didn't seem to hear me. He could be sleeping and might think he's dreaming. Oh well! I'll just keep bugging him till he answers.

"_Jiro! I know you can hear me!"_ I hollered. Luckily, this conversations in the mind or I'd be waking everyone up.

"_What? Don't you know normal people actually sleep?"_ Finally answered my yellow-eyed friend.

"_Yes, I do know normal people sleep. That's why I'm talking to you and not Mika,"_ I giggled. I could just imagine the freaked out look on Jiro's face when I called Mika "normal".

"_Mika? She's far from normal! I'm the normal one!"_ Argued Jiro. I started laughing slightly at Jiro's reaction.

"_Of course you are Jir-kun. Anyway…"_ I began. I wasn't sure what to talk about actually. The things going are in the others lives are secret to us now since, technically, we're on different sides.

"_It seems that you got your chakra back,"_ cheered Jiro when I didn't finish my sentence.

"_Yes I did! Now I can stay up all night and talk to you!"_ I sang.

"_Why me? I like sleep you know,"_ groaned Jiro. He sounded as if he was about to sleep there and then, but I wouldn't let him.

"_Awww… Come Jir-kun! We can talk about your love life with Dei!"_ I suggested. That topic was sure to wake him up. If it were out of embarrassment or interest, Jiro wouldn't be able to make himself fall asleep now.

"_Really? You're not even here, and you're still trying to set Deidara and I up?"_ Questioned the rogue male. If Jiro could see me now, I bet he'd be rolling his eyes at the huge smile on my face.

"_Why wouldn't I? You and Dei are meant for each other,"_ I gushed. While I had Jiro mind on the topic, I took a small detour through my yellow-eyed friend's mind. The joys of having mind bonds are that you can look into your friends' minds while they're nowhere close to you.

"_I already have Mika on my back for this and I don't need you too,"_ whined Jiro. Though, I wasn't really listening as I was looking for some specific information.

"_AHHA!"_ I exclaimed when I found what I was looking for. There was no way Jiro could deny his love now.

"_You do love Diedara! I have the proof right in your head,"_ I taunted Jiro. I could just picture the Jiro's face turning redder then his hair.

"_W-What?"_ Stuttered Jiro. You could tell just by his voice that he knew he was caught.

"_Yep yep! In one little part of your mind, you think Dei is one sexy beast and you just want to throw him on your bed, kiss him passionately and tak-_," I started, but was cut off by I very embarrassed Jiro.

"_Lark, stop!"_ Exclaimed Jiro. It took a moment for Jiro to start talking again as e tried to reorganize his thoughts.

"_Just stop trying to set us up. It's not going to happen,"_ stated Jiro. I could here the disappointment in the redhead's voice and the sound made me frown.

"_There's nothing wrong with it Jiro. Deidara likes you back, so don't be worried about rejection,"_ I comforted Jiro. I hated see, or in this case hearing, my friends sad. Especially when it's Jiro's life. He's been through a lot, either it being about his family, friends or love life. I'd be upset if Mika was sad too, she's been through a lot too, but she doesn't seem to get very upset. That's a good thing for a shinobi though.

"_I'm not worried about that. I just don't want to get involved with anyone,"_ said Jiro. That makes sense. Being apart of the Akatsuki and having a love life would be pretty hard, even harder when the two people are both involved with the Akatsuki.

"_Makes sense. Akatsuki members aren't really the best for relationships,"_ I thought out loud.

"_Yeah well, at least now you can go forth with your love life,"_ chuckled Jiro. I scratched my head in confusion. What love life did I have?

"_What are you talking about?"_ I asked the redhead. Jiro continued to chuckle as he answered. I think I was missing something.

"_I'm talking about Kakashi. You're with him now, so why not start something?" _Laughed Jiro. I gave a glare that would have had Jiro hiding behind the nearest shield like object.

"_There's nothing going on with Kakashi,"_ I hissed. Though, I guess Jiro didn't take me very seriously since he kept laughing.

"_Just wait Lark. If something was too happen to Kakashi, you'd be very upset,"_ chimed Jiro. I rolled my eyes at Jiro's assumption.

"_Oh yeah. I'd be crying and screaming,"_ I sighed.

"_That's the way! Well, I should go now. Bye!"_ Sang Jiro as he ended the conversation. I just lied there and shook my head. Did he honestly think I'd be crying for Kakashi because it was Kakashi? Don't make me laugh.

"Idiot," I scoffed. Glancing up at the sky, I notice that the darkness was turning into light.

"Who's the idiot?" Asked a voice from beside me. Looking over I saw Naruto crouched down beside me. Sitting up I gave the kid a small smile.

"No one," I stated as I waved the kid off. Naruto just replied with a silent 'oh' and glanced at the ground. He stayed beside me for a while, not saying or doing anything. I glanced behind the blond and saw that Kakashi and Yamato were still asleep.

"You're up pretty early," I accused the boy. Naruto raised his eyes to look at me and nodded slightly.

"I actually wanted to ask you a question," muttered Naruto. I gave the boy a confused look.

"I'm flattered that you think I could help you, but I don't know much about wind chakra," I confessed. There was also the fact that I couldn't teach anyone to save my life. I'd get too frustrated with the students.

"It's not about that. You're not much of a fighter," simply said Naruto. I glared daggers at the boy and if looks could kill, Naruto would have kicked the bucket by now.

"Don't go assuming things when you haven't even seen me fight!" I snapped. Honestly! The kid barely knows me and he thinks I can't fight! Just wait until I'm in a real battle, then he won't be saying I can't fight.

"Sorry…Anyway, my question is about you," mumbled Naruto. Again, I had a confused look.

"Me? What do you want to know about me?" I asked the blond. It took a moment before the boy answered very quickly.

"What did you do before you left the village? Why did you leave? What's with you and Kakashi-sensei?" Blurted Naruto in one breath. I sat there wide-eyed, trying to figure out what the loud blond just asked.

"Umm… Well… I…" I sputtered. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell Naruto anything, and usually I'd yell at someone for asking personal question. Though, Naruto asked them very quickly and all at the same time.

"Leave Lark alone Naruto. She obviously isn't going to answer you questions," yawned a voice from behind me. Both Naruto and I quickly looked behind me, only to see Kakashi standing there with his usual bored expression. It seemed that Yamato was awake as well.

"Fine…" sighed the genin as he got up from his crouched position, only to have a determined smile appear on his face.

"Now that you and Caption Yamato are up, we can get back to my training!" Exclaimed Naruto. I swore I heard Yamato give a sad sigh as he got up and walked over to where he performed his jutsu.

"This early! The sun just rose about 10 minutes ago!" I shrieked. This boy was too damned determined.

"Every minute counts!" Smiled Naruto as he undressed until he was only in his underwear. He then jumped up to the wooded platform across the waterfall and performed his Shadow Clone jutsu. I just stared at the boy wide-eyed with shock. How could someone have so much energy?

* * *

><p><strong>Please tell me what you think! Reviews make me very happy :D Bye Bye.<strong>


	18. Chapter 17

**Here's chapter 17! I think I gave myself a headache trying to changed the episodes into words... Oh well! It was fun ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or it's characters.**

* * *

><p>It was late morning right now and Naruto had been trying to cut that waterfall since daybreak. To be honest, I don't think the boy could do it. He has the right thinking, but he doesn't have the control. How he learned the Rasengen was beyond me.<p>

"Do you think he can actually cut the waterfall in half?" I asked Kakashi. We were both lying under a tree with me on the ground and Kakashi on the wooden couch. Don't ask me how he got the couch and I got the ground…

"I think he can," answered Kakashi. I glanced up at Kakashi then at Naruto.

"It just seems like he doesn't have the patience in order to focus," I stated. Kakashi looked down at me.

"He has more patience then you did when you were learning how to work Kokoro no ressun. Now look how far you've come with it," informed Kakashi. I gave a little huff and turned from the older jonin.

"That's different! Also, I did have patience. It's just didn't help that you were trying to butt in with your two sense!" I snapped at Kakashi he gave a small chuckle in response before returning to his book. Even when I ask a simple question; Kakashi still finds some way to piss me off.

After a few moments passed, I sensed to people near by in the woods. Looking over in the directions of the new people, I saw that pink haired girl and that very pale boy. The girl, I don't really remember her name, had placed a basket of something a stump and then walked off with the boy. Kakashi seemed to realize they were there too and he mumbled something about teamwork.

The Copy ninja got up and went over to the basket that was left behind. While he was retrieving the basket, I decided to take my chance and steal the couch for myself. I've been lying on the ground for hours and it was getting pretty uncomfortable. Besides, if Kakashi was any sort of gentleman then he'd let me have the couch and he'd sit on the ground.

When Kakashi came back, he gave an annoyed sigh when he saw I took his place. As Kakashi came closer, I saw that the basket was full of food pills. My stomach started to growl when I thought about the food and I realized I haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning. So, I reached for a food pill when Kakashi was close enough. Kakashi didn't protest when I took the pill, so I popped it into my mouth without another thought.

As soon the food pill hit my tongue I had to spit right back out. I started to gag and had a mini freak out. Those things were disgusting! How could anyone eat them?

"Are you alright Lark?" Asked Kakashi when he saw my reaction to the food pill. I shook my head franticly and tried to spit out the remaining taste in my mouth.

"Those things can kill somebody!" I exclaimed and pointed an accusing finger at the basket full of the killer food pills. Kakashi gave me a weird look and then looked down at the pills. Giving a shrug, the masked jonin went over to Naruto and had a small talk with him. Kakashi offered the boy the food pills and Naruto took them with a smile. Though, after taking one bit of the nasty food pills, Naruto's reaction was similar to mine. I wasn't the only one you didn't like them.

It didn't take long before Naruto went back to training. The boy hardly took any breaks, so it didn't surprise me when he performed the Shadow Clone jutsu as soon as Kakashi jumped down.

"Guessing your little pink haired student isn't much of a cook," I giggled when Kakashi came back. Kakashi gave a one eyed smile as he set down the still full basket.

"She means well at least," replied Kakashi as he sat down and pulled out his book. I rolled my eyes and gave a small laugh. I then began to eye Kakashi's book.

The cover was a greenish blue and had _Icha Icha Tactics_ written in yellow. The author was Jiraiya and the name was very familiar to me, as I knew him as one of the sanin. He was also a very well known pervert that went after girls a lot younger then him. Giving a slight shiver at the thought of the old pervert, I glanced over Kakashi's shoulder. Though, my hair kept falling into my uncovered eye and made it hard to read the words. So, instead I grabbed the book from Kakashi and laid back down with the book above me.

Kakashi gave a sound in protest, but I ignored him as I flipped through the pages. On almost every single page there was some sort of love scene. It made me sick of how gushy and erotic the novel was. Don't get me wrong, I can be a pervert myself, but you'd have to be a very big pervert to even write this stuff.

Giving a disgusted scoff, I threw the book in Kakashi direction. I smirked when I heard thud and when I glanced over I saw that the book had smacked Kakashi in the face. I started to laugh when the book slid from Kakashi's face and revealed a shock stricken eye.

"You threw it! Hasn't anyone told you to be careful with books?" Whined Kakashi as he picked up the book from the ground. I started to laugh even harder when I heard the sound of Kakashi's voice. The mighty Copy ninja sounded heartbroken about the fact his precious book fell on the ground.

"I am careful with books, but that isn't a book. That's just some pervert's fantasies," I giggled as I tried to control my laughing. It was hard though, Kakashi kept giving sadden glances at the book as to if it was hurt in some way.

"You're not very nice Lark," sulked Kakashi as he moved both himself and his book away from me.

"Never said I was," I smirked. Kakashi just gave me a small one-eyed glare in return and went back to reading.

* * *

><p>Time passed and then even more time. Soon the time turning into a day and Naruto hadn't gotten any closer to stopping the waterfall. Even though I wanted to voice my opinions every time to time, I kept quiet. There was no point in saying anything since I wasn't giving any actual advice.<p>

So, as I kept quiet, more time passed and I was getting bored. I thought of having another conversation with Jiro, but thought I'd leave him alone since I'd most likely tease him about Deidara. Then the thought of talking to Mika came up, but was quickly pushed away. Mika's a good friend and all, though if she were to find out I was alive and well she'd demand to know why I wasn't back yet or why they haven't cam to my rescue. Knowing Mika, she'd probably make a big fuse over it to and make the other Akatsuki members want snap her neck. She means well, but Mika doesn't really know when to shut her mouth.

Another day passed without anything interesting happening. That pink haired girl kept bringing those disgusting food pills that no one ate. I kept asking Kakashi as to why he didn't tell her to stop bringing them, as we had three baskets full of untouched food pills, but Kakashi said that the girl meant well and didn't want to hurt her feelings. Hurt her feelings? Yeah right, Kakashi was scared of being pummeled by the hot-tempered girl.

Kakashi had told Naruto to take a break at this point, but the blond refused and kept going. I started to shake my head at Naruto's eagerness, but stopped mid shake when I heard the flow of water stop.

Glancing up, I saw a cheering Naruto in front of a waterfall that had been cut in half. Shock filled my eyes as I started at the blond in disbelief. The kid actually did it! Here I thought it wouldn't happen… I hate being wrong…

* * *

><p>Naruto had passed out after his success and kept mumbling about food. So, I guess to celebrate, helped Naruto walk as all four of us made our way to Ichiraku Ramen. Just the name of the restaurant made my stomach growl. It had been awhile since I actually had real food and it has been eight years since I've had Ichiraku Ramen. In all honesty, I'm not a big fan of ramen to begin with; I have more of a sweet tooth, but Ichiraku has the best ramen.<p>

When we arrived at our destination, the restaurant owners greeted us very loudly. I don't really remember their names, but oh well. Naruto had slumped down onto a stool and laid his head down on the counter. Yamato sat on Naruto's left, Kakashi on Naruto's right and I sat on Kakashi's right. Naruto had ordered a pork ramen, but was denied his order when the daughter of the restaurant's owner placed a menu in front of Naruto's face. Though, the blond refused to look at the menu and kept saying he wanted pork ramen. The girl then got annoyed with Naruto and shouted that they didn't serve ramen any more.

"Wait a second… So, this is a dipping noodle shop now?" Questioned Kakashi. Both the girl and man nodded. The man then begun to explain that his daughter, Ayame, had gone for professional noodle making and came back with the idea of turning Ichiraku Ramen into a dipping noodle shop. I gave a small laugh when the guy said 'professional noodle training'; I just found it really funny that someone went to learn how to cook noodles like they were training to fight. Though, Kakashi caught me laughing and sent me a small glare. Naruto then started to whine about not getting ramen.

"It'll be fine. Dipping noodles are pretty much the same as ramen," Kakashi told Naruto. I nodded in agreement, but then Yamato had to go and make an argument.

"No, they're not. The noodles are served separate from the broth, you dip them in as you eat," disagreed Yamato. Both Kakashi and I gave Yamato a bored look.

"Well it all goes to the same place," informed Kakashi. I nodded again as my stomach started to growl in protest of talking about food and not eating it.

"The concept is totally different," protested Yamato. I gave the wood nin a 'are-you-kidding-me' look.

"Come on. It's still just noodles and broth. Food is food, just eat it," I groaned. Couldn't they see the big picture? Ramen has noodles, dipping noodles has noodles. Ramen has broth and so does dipping noodles. Just suck it up and eat people!

Naruto didn't listen to neither Kakashi nor I, and complained even more about not getting ramen. Then Ayame and Naruto got into a small argument about 'phony' ramen. These people take ramen way to seriously.

Finally, Naruto gave in and asked for some dipping noodles much to Ayame's delight. It seemed to take forever to get our meal though. There seemed to be something wrong with the broth or noodles each time it was set in front of us. My patience was running very thin, I was hungry and tired, I just needed food and I didn't care if it was perfect!

Thankfully, it was finished before I shouted in annoyance. Naruto seemed relieved that his food had finally arrived, but before eating, he asked for some toppings. I smirked as I figured out what the blonde's plan was.

After receiving the toppings, Naruto poured his broth into the noodle bowl. Ayame was not pleased one bit by Naruto's action. While those to were arguing I started to eat my food, as did Kakashi and Yamato.

"This is actually quite good," I mumbled after taking a few bites. Looking over at Kakashi, stared down at his bowl in disbelief.

"How are you done already? We just got it!" I exclaimed. Kakashi gave me a one eyed smile.

"Years of being a shinobi," simply answered the masked jonin. I shook me head and returned to my noodles.

When we all finished our meals, Naruto taking longer since he ate three bowls, Naruto was all ready to get back to training. I sighed at the mention of training, it meant that we had to camp outside again for who knows how long.

"Not yet. Before we do, I want to show you something very interesting," said Kakashi, which sparked Naruto's, and mine, interest.

"What do you have in mind?" Asked the blond. Kakashi just replied that he'd tell him after Naruto had rested up.

"Great, more long complicated explanations," groaned Naruto.

"It'll be fine. You know I can sweet-talk anyone. I promise that'll be interesting," responded Kakashi. I let a giggle slip out when Kakashi said he could sweet-talk anyone. It's true he can sweet-talk, but not everyone. He's tried to sweet-talk Mika, Jiro and I once, but that resulted in Jiro walking away, and both Mika and I hitting him on the head. The bill for our meals then arrived.

"Hey, Yamato. You've got this right?" Questioned Kakashi, waving over towards the wood nin. Yamato gave Kakashi an are-you-kidding look.

"Who me? Shouldn't the most senior member be the one to take care of it," retorted Yamato. I had gotten up and sat beside Yamato as I had a feeling that Kakashi was going to 'sweet-talk' the poor jonin.

"There's no rank distinction when it comes to mutual respect. Besides, you're probably my only junior I acknowledge as a true equal," coaxed Kakashi. That's his sweet-talking.

"Don't look in his eye! That's how he gets you," I hissed into Yamato's ear as I placed my hands over his eyes. Though, I knew Yamato was already caught in Kakashi's grasp.

"Fine, I'll pay if you want," sighed Kakashi.

"Good! You never paid when we were younger and by the looks of it you still don't!" I snapped at the silver haired man. I released Yamato from my hold, but regretted it when Kakashi sent a look over at Yamato.

* * *

><p>"Crap," I mumbled as we exited the ramen shop. Yamato had paid just like Kakashi wanted him too. Kakashi and Naruto were chucling softly about the fact that Yamato fell for Kakashi's <em>charm<em>. I very nice to pick on the jonin like that, so I decided to pick on Kakashi a little.

"Goodness Kakashi. I see now how you get all those men to sleep with you. You're just irresistible," I praised Kakashi. The Copy ninja gave me a one-eyed smile that soon turned into a wide eye when he realized I said 'men'.

"W-what? T-that's n-not true!" Stuttered Kakashi. Both Naruto and I busted out laughing at the jonin's reaction. It was just far too easy for me to tease the masked man.

* * *

><p>We finally arrived back at the training grounds, and Naruto was bugging Kakashi about that thing he wanted to show the blond. Truth be told, I was pretty interest too and hoped that what Kakashi had in mind was worth the wait.<p>

Holding out his hand, Kakashi started to concentrate and, not long after, a sphere of chakra had formed in Kakashi's palm. Naruto looked at it wide eyed and I looked at it as if it was old news.

"That was the interesting thing you wanted to show the kid? Honestly, the Rasengen is simple, I can even do it," I scoffed. Naruto gave me the same wide-eyed look he gave Kakashi.

"You can do the Rasengen too?" Asked the genin. I gave a quick nod and began the same action as Kakashi just did. Soon an identical sphere to Kakashi's formed in my palm. Naruto still had the look of shock on his face as he looked at both Rasengens.

"This isn't fair! The Rasengen's supposed to be my secret jutsu, but here are you two doing it better the I can," whined Naruto. Both Kakashi and I sighed and stopped our jutsu as Naruto continued to ramble on. It took a few seconds, but Naruto soon calm down enough to continue the lesson. Though, the blond believed Kakashi was showing off when he used his Chidori.

Ignoring Naruto's consent whines, Kakashi continued to explain how they're going to make a new special justu for Naruto. The genin then believe that he was invincible and this training was going to be easy since he could already do the change in chakra nature and form. Talk about an ego.

"Well, if you think it's so easy, you can do it yourself and we'll sit back and laugh at your failure," shot at the blond. Naruto gave me a very small glare, as he didn't appreciate my sarcasm.

"Can you do both at the same time?" Mocked Naruto. I growled at the boy as he gave me a triumphant smile, but before I could lung at the boy, Kakashi butted in.

"Actually, Lark is very good at handling change in chakra form and nature. Show him one of your jutsus Lark," defended Kakashi. I smirked towards the boy as I knew what jutsu to use and I knew it would make him mad.

Performing some hand signs, I then held out my hand for the Rasengen. The sphere of chakra soon appeared and, not far behind, bits of lightning emerged from the sphere. My smirk grew as I saw the colour slightly drain from Naruto's face. Kakashi then waved at me to end the jutsu.

"How's that?" I asked with a bit of pride. Let's see the kid get cocky now.

"Unlike me, Lark can combine the Rasengen's change of form with the change of chakra nature of lightning," explained Kakashi. Naruto gave a quick nod in understanding.

"It takes great skill to combine the two," stated Yamato. I couldn't help but give myself a small pat on the back. It's not my fault I have great skill. Good gracious, I'm going to go to hell for having too much damned pride!

"I wasn't the only who failed at it. My teacher, the one who created Rasengen, failed at it too. That's why Lark is going to teach you a lot from this point on," informed Kakashi. I gave Kakashi a very shocked look at this new information.

"Are you shitting me? There is no way I'm teaching this brat. Besides, I can't handle it to it's fullest, so it's still an incomplete justsu," I argued. Naruto then gave a confused look.

"The Rasengen is an incomplete jutsu?" Questioned the blond.

"It is true in a way," answered Yamato. Kakashi then started to explain the difficulties of the creation of the new justu.

"The jutsu we're aiming for as a S-ranked level of difficulty or possibly even beyond that. For all we know it can be unachievable," Kakashi told the very wide-eyed Naruto. I had to agree with Kakashi. My Electric Rasengen isn't close to being finished. I could never seem to put full power into it and it's even harder to control it, so using it in battle is out of the question.

"I'm telling you this because I truly believe you're the only shinobi who can surpass the fourth Hokage," smiled Kakashi.

"You mean, who can surpass me. I've already surpassed the fourth," I corrected Kakashi. Kakashi turned to me and gave me a look of disbelief.

"Lark, when I said 'shinobi' I meant male ninja. You're a kunoichi, so you're the only female ninja to surpass the fourth," said Kakashi. I gave the masked man a small glare.

"Liar," I simply stated before turning away from the group with my arms crossed. Kakashi always believed I wasn't much of a shinobi, but he knew for a fact that I was better then Minato-sensei. The Copy ninja was just trying to save himself a headache when he said that kunoichi thing.

I had begun walking away with really realizing it and as I glanced behind me I saw Kakashi and Yamato close behind. Guess we're letting the kid rest some more before we start training once more. I began to sulk at the thought of training. Kakashi wasn't serious when he said I was going to teach Naruto, right?

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think :) Bye Bye.<strong>


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey! Here's Ch18. Just to warn you guys, I might not post very quickly for awhile. I have writer's block for this story and then I have an idea for another Naruto story that I really want to write but nothings coming to me... :( But just watch, after say this, I'll have millions of ideas and you'll all think I'm lying. Oh well! At least I'll have ideas :D Anyway hope you enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>Naruto had started his training after an hour, maybe less, of rest. So, right now Kakashi, Yamato and I were watching about a hundred Narutos try to fuse the Rasengen with wind chakra. The genin hadn't any luck yet and you could tell he was frustrated as well as tired. Twice already, Yamato had to restrain Naruto as the nine-tails was beginning to take over. It doesn't look as if it's going to go good for the boy.<p>

"Tenzo! Tenzo!" Exclaimed Kakashi as the nine-tails' chakra, yet again, tried to take over. As quickly as Yamato could, he sent his pillars towards Naruto and restrained the boy until he was back to normal.

I ignored the small argument between Kakashi and Yamato. The two were sort of bickering about if Naruto could actually do it or not. Instead of butting my two-sense in, I thought back to when I was trying to combine my lightning chakra with the Rasengen.

Let me tell you that it wasn't easy. It probably took me about a year to get those small sparks to emerge, but after that I just couldn't progress further and gave up in the end. I hate to emit it, but Kakashi may have been right when he said Naruto might be the only one to further the Rasengen.

"Lark, do you have any advice that you could give Naruto?" Kakashi asked me. Coming out of my previous thoughts, I started to recall my training methods. None of my methods would work. Hell, I don't even remember half of them.

"No. His best bet is to continue what he's doing now," I answered while shacking my head. Kakashi looked away with disappointment in his eye.

"Thought you'd be a bit helpful," mumbled Kakashi. It was obvious he was mad that I wasn't helping. He probably thought I was with holding information. I didn't blame him for that since I've been doing that since I've arrived in the Leaf. Though, I actually couldn't remember!

"Maybe if I remember what I did…" I muttered, not really wanting Kakashi to hear, but he did.

"You can't remember? You have one of the best memories in the Leaf and you're telling me you can't remember one of your hardest points in training?" Questioned Kakashi as he quickly turned his head back towards me. At that moment I found my hair very interesting and began playing with it. I often played with my hair when I was embarrassed and right now I sort of was. Names of people were common for me to forget if the person wasn't of much importance to me, but it was very rare for me to forget any training or fight. Guess there's a first for everything.

Kakashi just sighed and turned to watch Naruto, letting my little issue go. Ok, maybe it wasn't that I couldn't remember what I did. I did the same training as Naruto, without all the Shadow Clones though. There was probably other stuff I did as well, but it most likely didn't work if I couldn't remember it.

* * *

><p>Time passed and Naruto was in the same situation he was in two hours ago. The boy had nothing and he was getting even more frustrated by the second. Kakashi had finally gone over to Naruto to check on him and it looked like Naruto was going to give up. I wasn't paying attention to their conversation, but I became interested when Kakashi created his own Shadow Clone.<p>

"What's he doing?" I asked Yamato as I bent down to his ear.

"Kakashi-senpai is showing Naruto that's possible to look left and right at the same time," answered Yamato. Standing up straight again, I thought over what Kakashi was getting at.

"Oh, I get it! It's proving that nothing's impossible, but also telling Naruto to split up the work," I realized out loud. Naruto seemed to understand what Kakashi was getting at as well because just then, the blond had a huge grin on his face and begun the jutsu again. Kakashi had come back over and it seemed that he was slightly confused.

"Confused about something?" I asked Kakashi as he stood next to me.

"Sort of. I don't know what kind of idea Naruto just got," replied Kakashi. I was the one who looked confused now.

"You mean you weren't actually giving Naruto a tip?" I questioned.

"I wasn't really trying to," confessed Kakashi. I sighed and shook my head. It seemed that Naruto was smarter then he acted.

* * *

><p>After a few more hours, clouds were starting to appear overhead and it looked like it was about to rain. The wind was also starting to pick up slightly, causing my hair to fly all over the place. Luckily I had my hair in a ponytail so only my bangs were causing a nuisance. Though as the wind picked up even more, I couldn't shake a certain feeling. I didn't know what it was, but it felt like something bad was going to happen. It's probably just me though; I always get weird feelings when it's about to rain.<p>

"You alright Lark?" Asked Kakashi. I snapped out of my small daze and turned to Kakashi.

"I'm fine. Why'd you ask?" I replied. Kakashi shrugged and turned away from me.

"You just had a worried look on your face," answered Kakashi. I replied with a small "oh" and went back to looking at the sky. It started to spit rain and soon it started to pour. As this was happening, I went to stand under a tree as Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato stayed in the rain. I still couldn't shake that bad feeling though and it was beginning to annoy me. What on earth would be giving me this bad feeling? I know it was common for me to feel like this when it rained, and I was usually right with the feeling, but I couldn't place my finger on it. Oh well…

The rain had cleared up after a couple hours and now the sun was back out. I had gone back to standing next to Yamato and Kakashi, as now the tree I was under was dripping water droplets onto me. Naruto Had actually figured out how to put his wind chakra into his Rasengen after a while. It seemed like he only needed to add a second Shadow Clone in order to split up the work. So now three Narutos were needed to perform a wind styled Rasengen.

Kakashi had gone over to congratulate Naruto on his success, but right now it looked like the masked jonin was chasing a creeped out blond.

"What on earth are they doing?" I muttered to myself. The two looked ridiculous, Naruto was scooting around the field on his ass with Kakashi following him around for some reason. Honestly, those two didn't act like real shinobi half the time.

As I was shaking my head at the two weirdoes on the field, someone had jumped in front of Yamato. The sudden appearance of the guy surprised me at first, but I got over it quick enough to hear what the guy was telling Yamato.

"Asuma Sarutobi has fallen in battle. The ceremony will be tomorrow," the guy informed us. Yamato had a look of shock on his face, which changed to grief as he stood up. The guy left as Yamato and I walked over to Kakashi and Naruto.

Both Kakashi and Naruto were staring at us with concerned looks. Yamato had a grief stricken face while I had my normal expression. I probably should look upset as well, but in all honesty, I wasn't.

"Kakashi we have to call off the training and return immediately," Yamato told Kakashi as we walked towards him. Naruto gave a sound in protest and shock at what he just heard.

"What's happened?" Asked Kakashi. Yamato didn't answer until we had stopped in front of the two shinobis. For a moment I thought I was going to tell what was going on. It seemed like Yamato wasn't going to answer, but he did right before I was about to.

"Asuma Sarutobi has fallen," answered Yamato. His words brought shock to both Kakashi's and Naruto's eyes. It took a while before anyone said anything, after a moment Kakashi was the one to break the silence.

"Ok. We'll head back now and come back the day after tomorrow," ordered Kakashi, but his voice didn't seem to have the same authority as it did earlier. Everyone was silent and started to walk off in different direction. I had stood in my place until Kakashi waved for me to follow him.

"You're upset," I stated to Kakashi when I got annoyed with the consent silence.

"Of course I am. Asuma was a fellow comrade," mumbled Kakashi. I rolled my eyes at Kakashi's reply.

"You do know shinobi die all the time, even comrades," I scoffed. Kakashi glared at me from the corner of his eye.

"You're not upset in the tiniest bit?" Asked Kakashi.

"No," I answered as I shook my head. My answer only made Kakashi's one-eyed glare harden.

"What if it was Mika or Jiro died? You'd be upset," accused Kakashi. I nodded my head before responding.

"Yes I would be upset, but that's because they're more then just comrades to me. They're my friends," I informed the jonin.

"You just said Asuma was a comrade, not a friend. I bet you've seen plenty of comrades die and haven't felt that sad about it," I added. Kakashi had stopped walking and turned to me.

"Is that how you think?" Questioned Kakashi with a bit of anger. I shrugged and gave the masked ninja a bored look.

"Way of the shinobi," I told Kakashi and I continued to walk right by him. I don't know what Kakashi's reaction was, but I was guessing he wasn't smiling.

The rest of the way to the apartment was quiet. Neither of us talked, and I was fine with it. Not talking was common between us, so it was no surprise. Besides, Kakashi probably wasn't happy with the way I was responding to Asuma's death. Oh well, he can act his way and I'll act mine.

Back at the apartment, both Kakashi and I were silent. It seemed that Kakashi was mad at me for my insensitivity towards Asuma's death. I wasn't talking because Kakashi would take the chance to talk about my coldness or ignore me. I'm sorry that I'm not upset about the Asuma's death, but I barley knew the guy! How I'm I supposed to morn for someone when I barely knew their name?

I changed out of the clothes I have been wearing the entire week, and changed into a tank top and baggy track pants. After changing, I just flopped down onto my bed. There was nothing to do… I didn't want to go out to the living room and face an awkward silence with Kakashi. Talking to Jiro seemed like a bad idea since I've talked to him a lot lately when I really shouldn't be. Mika was out of the question for obvious reasons and so was Itachi. Kami! What's the point of having mind bonds when I can't use them!

I gave an annoyed sigh and buried my head into my pillow. Guess I could try to sleep if I haven't anything better to do. Lets hope I can actually sleep though. It's been two days since I got a wink of sleep and I could feel it catching up to me.

Closing my eyes, I tired to think of nothing but sleep. Though, my brain thought that there were more important things to do besides sleep. After 15 minutes of trying to sleep, I gave up and stared at my ceiling.

"What to do… What to do…" I trailed. There wasn't anything interesting in my room as it was just a plain guest room. I was actually surprised to find out that Kakashi had a two-room apartment. You'd think the jonin would only have a one room since he's hardly home and that the pay for a ninja isn't the best. Also, it's not like Kakashi would ever have company that would stay over night in a separate room. Maybe, he just really like the apartment and didn't care about the extra room.

Sighing, I decided to eavesdrop on any of the thoughts that I picked up. There wasn't really anything going on with the neighbours. There was a couple below us that seemed to be having a fight and by their thoughts it seemed they were about to breakup. Not that interesting, Mika and Jiro fight like an old married couple, so couples fighting was a bore to me.

Just then a new person entered the apartment. By their chakra, I guessed that it was Guy. Wonder what he's doing here. Maybe it's because of Asuma's death, but just to make sure…

Ignoring all the other thoughts that came at me, I focused on the two minds of the jonins that were in the living room. Guy's mind was easy to tap into, but Kakashi had some sort of genjutsu block up and I was too lazy to break it, so I settled on Guy.

As I thought, they were talking about Asuma, but also Naruto's training. What really got my attention was that my name came up.

It seemed that Guy thought I was really upset by Asuma's death, but Kakashi quickly turned that thought away. Then my name came up in thoughts that really, really caught my attention.

_Seems like Kakashi's really upset by the new Lark_, thought Guy. Why would Kakashi be upset? I haven't changed that much, but everyone I knew from the village doesn't like the 'new Lark'.

_Poor guy… He should have told her before she left_, I read from Guy's mind. Told me what? What was guy thinking about? I tried to dig up more information, but my brain decided that sleep was important now. I lost the battle to stay awake and soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think :)<strong>


	20. Chapter 19

**Here's Ch19! Told you I'd have ideas once I posted the other one -.-' But that's a good thing! Now I can write more :D Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>The next morning I woke up to an empty apartment. Kakashi was nowhere to be found and it made me a bit angry. He seemed to like leaving me behind a lot lately and he was supposed to keep an eye on me. Though, I don't know why I'm mad at him not being around, it's not like I don't enjoy him gone. I guess it's because he has a job to do and he's not doing it.<p>

As I went back to my room, I noticed a piece of paper taped on my door. It was a note that Kakashi must of left.

_Went to Asuma's burial. I know how you didn't care so I left you here. _

I rolled my eyes and threw the note into the garbage. I didn't care that Kakashi left me behind. If I did go to the burial, I'd be standing there like an idiot while everyone had grave looks on their faces.

Deciding that I didn't want to stay in the apartment, I thought I'd go for a walk. So, I got dressed into my normal attire, I even put my Leaf headband on, and made for the door. Though, when I tried to open the door, it didn't move. Kakashi had put a seal on it and I really didn't want to break it. Forgetting the door, I went to the living room window to find that it was sealed too. A little annoyed, I tried Kakashi's bedroom window, then mine and even the bathroom window. Everyway out of this apartment was sealed so I couldn't get out!

"Guess if I want out I'll have to break the seal," I mumbled to myself. I wasn't happy about this and now I really want get out to get back at Kakashi. So, I sat down in front of the door and began to try every seal I knew.

It took awhile, but I finally broke the seal and I didn't even know the seal's name. All I knew that it was some sort of genjutsu seal and that's why it didn't take me, as long to break it as a normal seal would have.

I quickly opened the door and entered the hall. Before I left though, I shut the door and put the seal back up. That way Kakashi would think I was still in the apartment.

I made my way out of the building and stopped when I reached outside. Looking both left and right, making sure there was nobody that would recognize me, and then began walking towards the training grounds.

There wouldn't be anybody training today because of Asuma's burial, so it was a good place to be alone. Though, I didn't want to be totally alone, so I summoned Kiki.

"What can Kiki do today?" asked the small bat when she came into view. I greeted her with a smile, which she returned, and signaled her to grip onto my ear.

"No work today. Just wanted some company," I told Kiki. The little bat flapped her wings as a sign of happiness.

"Where's Kakashi-baka? Isn't he supposed to watch Lark?" Questioned Kiki. I nodded slowly so I wouldn't knock the small bat off balance.

"He's at a burial," I answered. We had almost arrived at the torn up training field.

"Why isn't Lark at the burial?" Squeaked the she-bat.

"Didn't know the guy," I simply stated. Kiki seemed satisfied with this and didn't ask anymore about the burial. Though, when I thought Kiki had fallen asleep, the small bat struck up another question.

"Does Lark like Kakashi-baka?" Asked Kiki as she flew in front of my face. I gave the bat a curious look, but continued walking.

"What do mean by 'like'?" I asked in return. Kiki rolled her bright, yellow eyes at me like I was asking a stupid question.

"Does Lark like _like_ Kakashi-baka?" Asked the bat again, except adding an extra 'like'. This time I stopped walking and stared wide-eyed at Kiki.

"Why would you ask that?" I questioned the she-bat. Kiki shrugged and started to fly towards our destination.

"It just seems that Kakashi-baka and Lark have some sort of tension towards each other," replied Kiki. I started to walk again and stared at the bat with confusion on my face.

"Care to tell me what sort of tension?" I inquired. I wanted to see what this little bat knew about 'tension'.

"Sexual," Kiki stated like it was obvious. I stopped walking and started to choke on air. As I was coughing, Kiki flew back towards me and patted my back with her small hands.

"Sexual! There is no sexual tension between Kakashi and I!" I exclaimed once I could breath again. Kiki shrugged and went back to flying towards the training field.

"Keep telling yourself that," sighed Kiki. I glared slightly at the she-bat's back and started walking again.

"Yeah, and you keep imagining things," I muttered. I heard Kiki give a small scoff before she flew further ahead.

When we arrived to our destination, I sat under a tree while Kiki hung from a low branch. We hadn't talked to each other for a few minutes, as I was annoyed at Kiki for assuming that Kakashi and I _liked_ each other. The thought gave me the chills. Just then I remembered what Guy thought last night.

_He should have told her before she left._ What did he mean by that? Kakashi had told me enough before I left. We both hated each other and acted childish when we fought about stupid things. Well, I acted childish; Kakashi acted like some stuck up prick with a stick up his ass.

"Whatcha thinking about Lark?" Asked Kiki. I looked up at the small bat and just shook my head.

"Nothing," I answered. Kiki didn't seem happy with this and kept bugging my.

"Are you thinking about a certain masked shinobi?" Giggled Kiki. I sent a small glare up at the small bat.

"If you mumble one more thing about my 'relationship' with Kakashi, I'm going to crush you like a bug and send you back to your cave," I threatened. Kiki gave me a scared look and wrapped herself up in her wings. She knew that if I were pushed far enough, which isn't very far, I would go through with my threats.

"Looks like the rumours are true," mused a new, familiar voice. My glare hardened, but not at Kiki. This glare was for the disgusting cockroach behind me.

"What do you want Jun?" I growled as I turned towards the person. Behind was a Jun, a red haired, yellowed eyed cockroach, or as other people call him Jun Chi.

"That's no way to treat an friend you haven't seen in eight years," replied Jun, trying to sound hurt. My glare didn't lessen as I looked over the sorry excuse for a brother.

"I don't recall ever being your friend," I snarled. Jun made a hurt face and placed his hand over his heart.

"That's cold Lark," sulked the red head. He took a few steps towards me, but stopped when I growled at him like an angered animal.

"Sorry, I don't like being friends with people who hate their brother just because he's better with his Kekkei Genkai and because he's gay," I snapped at Jun. The older ninja narrowed his eyes at me at the mention of his brother.

"Don't mention that sorry excuse of a Chi," hissed Jun. I smirked slightly when I saw that I got a reaction out of the cockroach. Kiki had went back to her world before I had uttered a word to Jun. The small bat knew that a fight was bond to happen and didn't want to get caught in it.

"Jiro's the sorry excuse for your clan? I'm pretty sure you are, you homophobic prat," I scoffed. That only made Jun angrier and he pulled out a kunai.

"I guess you know all about sorry excuses, since you're one to your clan and this village," jeered Jun. I growled, but didn't respond. I wasn't going to give a verbal fight. No, those fights were for Kakashi. With Jun, I want to crush his skull to a million pieces.

"Got nothing to say now bitch?" laughed Jun. I was getting really mad at this point, and I could feel the electricity jumping off my clenched fists.

"You and that bitch, Mika, fit perfectly with that faggot I called a brother. So, why not go back with them and be that little freak squad again," jeered Jun. That got me.

"I don't care what you say about me, but don't you dare say anything about my friends!" I yelled. Jun smirked in victory when he got what he wanted. The cockroach always tried to push me to the edge, but never really could, but know that he's insulting Mika and Jiro, his own brother… He's going to regret it.

"You have no right to talk about them like that. They're 10 times… No, 100 times a better ninja then you are. You're just a dirty, little cockroach that I can crush with my foot," I roared. Now the electricity in my hands could be clearly seen, and I bet, if I took off my headband, my Kokoro no ressun would be glowing with anger.

Jun growled in reply, his grip tightening on his kunai. Instead of shooting another comment at me, the red head charged at me.

Good thing I was much faster then Jun was, and had gotten out of the way with enough time to get behind the shinobi. I jabbed my elbow into Jun's back, making the red head to lose balance. He whipped his arm around to hit me, but only hit plain air. Again, I had gotten behind Jun, but this time I kicked his legs out from under him.

Jun fell to the ground with a loud thud as his kunai flew from his hand. I stood there and watched as Jun scrambled for his weapon after he stayed on the ground for a second. There was no way I was going to use too much energy for this fight. There was no need to really, since Jun has as much talent as a brand new genin.

Any on looker could tell, that Jun was fighting while blinded in anger, and I wasn't trying at all. It was sad really that I didn't have to even try to win. I guess the one thing that Jun and I had in common, was our short tempers. Though, Jun released his anger in violence, while I just ran my mouth when mad. There were occasions where I would be violent, but that's when I was pushed way, _way_ too far.

Once Jun had retrieved his kunai, he charged again. I thought he was going to do the same thing as before, but before I moved, I noticed Jun make a hand sign.

"Are you going to beat me with your low leveled Kekkei Genkai?" I asked with a smirk on my lips. Jun glared at me once he finished his hand seal.

"You'll regret messing with me Mayumi!" Exclaimed a very angry Jun. I just stood there and laughed.

"I can beat your brother when he has his fully activated. So, I doubt you'll be much of a threat," I laughed. Jun glared harder and stopped running. I wasn't surprised when I saw blood dripping from his palms. I knew about the Chi clan's Kekkei Genkai very well and knew that Jun had the weakest level of it. It'll be a piece of cake beating it.

Jun's blood then looked like it became a solid form, and before Jun could even raise his hand, I was behind him with my right eye uncovered.

"Wh-what d-did you d-do?" Stuttered Jun when he realized he couldn't move. I smirked and went back to standing in front of the red head.

"Just a little genjustu. Now, deactivate your Chi Gēmu," I ordered with a smirk. Jun did just what I said even though he didn't want to.

"H-how… Wh-when di-did y-you…" Began Jun, but railed of when I started to talk.

"I'm much quicker then you, and with the help of my Kekei Genkai, I didn't have to mutter a word or move my hands," I stated. I thought about letting Jun go, but a little voice inside my kept telling me to scare him more. I decided to listen to the voice.

"Now, put your kunai up to your throat," I told the older ninja. Jun did just what I said, but with a struggle and with a scared look in his eyes.

"Ok. Now cu-,"

"Lark!" Yelled a very angry voice. I cursed under my breath and released Jun from my hold. Quickly I covered up my right eye as Jun dropped his kunai and gasped in shock and fear.

"What on earth are you doing?" Asked Kakashi as he cam towards Jun and I. Kakashi looked like he just came from Asuma's funeral as he was dressed in a black male kimono.

"Just showing Jun his place," I answered as I glared at Jun. The red head glared back at me as he placed his kunai back into his pouch.

"More like trying to kill me," snapped Jun. I glared harder at Jun and Kakashi gave me a hard glare.

"You attacked me! I was only protecting myself!" I exclaimed. Both Jun and I were glaring so hard at each other you could see the angry electricity between us.

"I don't care who started it! Jun you leave," ordered Kakashi as his glare turned form me to Jun. Before leaving, Jun muttered some very colourful words at me. I would have yelled at him, but judging by Kakashi's gaze, it wasn't a good idea.

Once Jun was out of sight, Kakashi turned back to me without his normally lazy look. He was very angry and he wasn't even trying to hide it as I could hear it loud and clear in his mind.

"What were you thinking?" Asked Kakashi. I turned my gaze away from the masked shinobi, not wanting to look into his eye.

"I wanted to teach him a lesson," I answered. Kakashi wasn't happy at all with my response.

"So, in that lesson you were going to kill him?" Questioned Kakashi. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"No, that was Jun being over dramatic. I was just trying to scare him," I stated. Kakashi sighed in frustration and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You're in big trouble Lark. First you leave the apartment, and then you get in a fight with another shinobi. Just hope that he doesn't tell the Hokage," informed Kakashi. I shrugged, not really caring.

"Jun wont utter a word because he's scared of you, but it's not like I care if he tells her. You're going to tell her anyway and then I'll be locked up or killed. Though, I'll be long gone before that happens," I said while crossing my arms. The angry look in Kakashi's eye was gone and was replaced with an annoyed, but caring gaze.

"I'm not telling the Hokage, and the only way you're getting out of the village is either with me or not at all," replied Kakashi. I stared at Kakashi for a sec, slightly confused.

"You must like me in some way not to tell the Hokage on me," I accused. I tried to read Kakashi's mind to see if I could get something, but that stupid seal was still there and I didn't feel like breaking it. Kakashi's reaction raised a few questions though. The masked ninja seemed shocked, surprised and embarrassed by my assumption.

"I'd get in trouble too if I told the Hokage, so that's why I'm not doing it," quickly defended Kakashi. I gave the shinobi a confused look, which he ignored and started to walk away.

I walked with him, but neither of us said anything. I was too caught up in Kakashi's reaction. Why was he embarrassed? Does it have to do with what I heard from Guy? For Kami's sake! It was probably really simple and I was just too blind to see it! I over think things too much…

* * *

><p><strong>Chi gēmu: Blood Games<strong>

**Please tell me what you thought! Bye Bye :)**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20! Just to warn you, I was hyper when I wrote this chapter, so it might show... Sorry if you don't like it :P Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>"Maybe I'll ask Zane…" I told myself in the middle of the night. It had been hours since my little fight with Jun and I've been at the apartment for a while. Since we had no training with Naruto, Kakashi thought it would be a good idea to go grocery shopping. Which I supported all the way, but I didn't want to go. I didn't like shopping very much in all honesty.<p>

So, as Kakashi was gone I had been thinking about what Guy and Kiki meant. I had nothing, so I was going for professional help. My summon Zane!

Now Zane is a bat who is very smart and also a bit of a love guru, so he should be able to help me. So, when I did the Summoning Jutsu, an average sized fruit bat appeared.

"How may I be of a service to you?" Asked Zane when he appeared. I smiled at the bat in a greeting.

"I have a question for you," I told the he-bat. Zane gave me a knowing look and flew up onto my bed.

"Over think things again," stated Zane, I nodded in response. He always seemed to know when I wasn't thinking properly.

"What do you think is going on when you hear someone say that someone should have told a person something a long time ago? Also, when someone says you have sexual tension between someone, is that good or bad?" I questioned Zane. It took him some time to answer. I wasn't very good at explain this, was I?

"Well, it looks like there might be some unsaid feelings between the two," said Zane. I just stared at the fruit bat for a moment with wide eyes.

"Feelings? Are you sure?" I questioned. There was no way that I had feelings for Kakashi or that he had feelings for me. That would ruin the whole getting-out-of-marriage thing.

"Yes. Feelings. Why did you ask?" Wondered Zane. I was about to answer truthfully, but stopped myself. I didn't need Zane knowing about Kakashi and then spreading it around his entire cave. No, that would end very badly and with Yami having a talk with me. There was no need to get that crazy bat involved. Yami isn't very fond of Kakashi, and when I say 'isn't fond' I mean wishes to drain Kakashi of his blood, tearing him limb from limb, while making sure it's a slow and painful death… Yeah… Don't mess with Yami…

"It's just about these two characters in a book I'm reading," I lied. Zane gave me a confused look and folded his tiny, winged arms.

"A book? You got all confused about a book?" Pondered Zane. I gave a smile and nodded. Zane didn't seem to buy it…

"What's the book's title?" Asked the fruit bat. I cursed the he-bat in my mind and was mentally hitting for asking that question.

"Umm… It's called… Icha Icha Paridise," I answered finally. This time Zane gave me a slightly disgusted look.

"You read that trash! Really Lark I thought you had some dignity," disapproved Zane. Crossing my arms, I gave the bat an annoyed glare.

"I have dignity! It's just, I wanted to see why it was so popular and that question came up," I defended. Zane just shook his head in shame directed towards me. He then flew from the bed and hovered in front of my face.

"Yes, well I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening Lark," said Zane as he disappeared in a poof of smoke. I coughed slightly and tried to fan the smoke away before it got in my eyes. After the smoke was gone, and I had stopped coughing, I just sat, cross-legged on my bed and thought about what Zane said.

Kakashi's couldn't have feelings for me, right? I mean we couldn't survive being a couple; we'd tear each other's throats out! I don't like him and my bats despise him, it just wouldn't work. Though, maybe he was a douche towards me because he liked me. You know like when you were younger and a boy would pull your hair or something? That was a sign that they liked you, but Kakashi is just to full of himself for that. Or is he… GGGAAAHH! This is very confusing.

* * *

><p>The next day we were back at the training grounds with Yamato and Naruto. It seemed that Kakashi had forgotten about my fight with Jun, as he hadn't said anything since yesterday. He actually hasn't spoken to me very much today… Weird. Anyway, it's not like the fight with Jun was important anyway. Jun was just being a douche that needed some sense beaten into him.<p>

Anyway, it was the day after Asuma's funeral and Naruto had started his training again. By just looking at the craters in the earth, you could tell that Naruto was coming along pretty well with his jutsu. Right now Kakashi was trying something, but I hadn't bothered to listen. I was too caught up in my thoughts.

I had started off thinking about that fight with Jun, and realized that it was the most interesting thing that had happened to me in the Leaf so far. Ever since I was able to walk around the village, I've been walking, watching or sleeping. I haven't had anything to do.

While I was ranting to myself about that, my mind wondered to what Kiki had told me before. _"It just seems that Kakashi-baka and Lark have some sort of tension towards each other." "Sexual."_

I shuddered at the thought of Kakashi and I have any sort of sexual relationship. The guy was too much of a pervert and had a heart made out of stone. Scratch that. A heart incapable of love. It couldn't be made of stone since he was upset about Asuma's death.

Then what Zane said last night came up and that gave me the chills. How could anyone believe that Kakashi and I had feelings for each other? There is no way we would be able to be together. We're not friends, just acquaintances, and we fight a lot. I mean you should of saw us when we were younger. It was always a power fight between us. One time our senseis had to physically tear us apart cause we were at each other's throats.

"Lark? Are you alright?" Asked Yamato, who was right beside me. I shook my head and looked up at the wood-nin.

"Ya… Why do you ask?" I questioned. Yamato turned his gaze from me and looked back at Naruto and Kakashi.

"You just looked annoyed with something," answered Yamato. I gave a silent 'oh' and looked at the ground. Not to long after, I found myself playing in the dirt. Very mature for a 25 year, huh? I didn't really care though; it was the only fun thing to do at the time.

After a few minutes, I had made a very pretty dirt drawing of a flower. I was quite proud of it actually. As I was taking in my magnificent drawing, some very rude person stepped on it…

I glared at the person's foot for a second and then slowly looked up to glare at the culprits face. Guess who it was. You're right! It was Kakashi!

"You just stepped on my drawing," I muttered in a very annoyed voice. Kakashi just rolled his eye and sat down next to me. As I stared sadly at my destroyed picture, I noticed something from the corner of my eye. Glancing over, I saw Kakashi trying to wrap up his injured right hand.

"What did you do?" I asked, slightly alarmed. Kakashi gave me a sideways glance and then continued to bandage himself.

"Naruto's new Rasengen is really strong," replied Kakashi. My uncovered eye widened a bit.

"You let Naruto attack you? Are you suicidal?" I questioned. Kakashi gave a small chuckle and shook his head.

"No, I wanted to see how his Rasengen went up against mine," answered Kakashi. I sighed and rolled my eye.

"Well, looks like you got your answer," I said as I motioned towards Kakashi burnt up hand. Kakashi chuckled again and went back to wrapping his arm. It seemed that he was having trouble though. Bandaging with one hand couldn't be easy. So, without saying anything, I grab the bandages from Kakashi, and started to wrap his injury.

"You're never going to wrap it properly with one hand," I told Kakashi as I unwrapped what he had done previously. Kakashi gave slight scoff and turned his head from me. I gave Kakashi a quick, confused glance and then went back to what I was doing. Though, before I fully looked away, I could've sworn I saw a hint of blush peeking from under Kakashi's mask.

"Embarrassed?" I teased with a small smirk. Kakashi didn't reply and instead, moved his left hand to cover the rest of his face. He looked like a child hiding behind his hand. I let it go for a moment and finished up bandaging his injury.

"Finished!" I exclaimed when I tied the knot in the bandages. As soon as I said that, Kakashi quickly took his hand away and stood up.

"Hey! Don't I get a thank you?" I complained as I stood up as well. Kakashi gave a small sigh and gave me a slight nod.

"Thank you," said Kakashi and he turned away from me again. I gave sound in annoyance and rested my hands on my hips. Either Kakashi has PMS or something's bugging him. I really hope it's the latter because the first one would be weird for a guy…

"Kakashi can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked. Kakashi turned back to me and motioned for me to continue. I sighed in annoyance and gave the masked man an annoyed glare.

"Not here," I stated and walked away hoping Kakashi would follow me. When I heard footsteps behind me, I gave a silent 'thank you' because I was pretty sure I was going to have to drag him away.

"What do you want Lark? We don't have time for your silly arguments," sighed Kakashi when I had stopped walking.

"Fine. I'll make this quick for your sake," I shot, slightly annoyed with Kakashi's weird attitude.

"What's your problem today?" I asked. Kakashi gave me a curious look before answering.

"What do you mean?" Responded the jonin. I sighed in irritation and gave a serious look towards the silverette.

"Well, you've only spoken ten words to me today and you wont look me in the eye," I explained. I then noticed that Kakashi's eye wasn't even focused on me. He was staring at a tree instead.

"See! You're not looking at me now!" I accused. Kakashi didn't even bother to look at me then, and that got on my nerves.

"I'm just tired, ok?" Replied Kakashi as he began to turn to leave.

"Tired my ass! I'm exhausted and you don't see me giving the cold shoulder!" I shouted. Really? Does he really think I'd buy that excuse?

"Just leave it alone Lark," Kakashi told me and began to walk away. I stomped my foot down in annoyance and gave a loud sound in irritation.

"No, I will not leave it alone," I stated. Kakashi then stopped walking and gave me a sideways glance.

"There is much on my mind that concerns you and I'm always questioning your actions. First, I heard Guy say something about you should've told me something eight years ago and so that got me suspicious. Then yesterday, Kiki said that we have some sort of sexual tension between each other and it's giving me the creeps. Since I have nothing to do I've been thinking about it a lot and it's not good when I think too much and… And…" I had started to run out of breath.

"Lark breathe," instructed Kakashi. I did has he told and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. Take note to take many breaths during rants. The after effect is not good.

"Ok. One, when were you talking to Guy? Two, Kiki… Umm… Is weird. Three, what is there to think about?" Questioned Kakashi after I my breathing was back to normal.

"Well… I wasn't really talking to Guy. More like I heard his thoughts the other night an-," Kakashi cut me off before I could answer his other question.

"You read Guy's mind," asked, more like stated, Kakashi. I gave a slight nod and bit my lip, a bit nervous as to what Kakashi was going to say. Though, he didn't say anything, so I continued.

"I read Guy's mind because I was bored and he has really loud thoughts, ok? Anyway, I'm not sure what I've been thinking about, I've been over thinking it really and I have a theory that I came up with last night," I told Kakashi. The older jonin then gave me an 'are-you-serious' look, not really believing that I came up with something.

"Ok… I asked Zane. He's very good in these situations," I added. I might be good at coming up with fighting strategies, but have me think about "normal" things, I tend to over think and that ends badly…

"Then what did Zane suggest?" Asked Kakashi after I was silent for a second.

"Zane thinks that… Well… He thinks that there might be some unsaid feelings between us," I revealed. Kakashi's eye seemed to widen a bit in surprise, but I wasn't too sure since I wasn't even looking at Kakashi anymore.

"I have no feelings for you what's so every, just so you know!" I blurted out. Kakashi hadn't responded and was staring at something nonexistence. I waited for a reply, but nothing came out of Kakashi's masked mouth.

"Umm… Kakashi?" I murmured, hoping to get a bit of the man's attention, but no. I began saying his name louder. I even went up to him and waved my hands in his face. Still nothing… He's just lucky I'm not trying to kill him or he'd be dead.

"I think I broke him," I worried and started to poke his shoulder. He wasn't responding at all.

"Should he have said something by now?" I asked no one in particular. Just then Kakashi shook his head quickly and gave me a strange, but embarrassed look.

"Feelings?" Questioned Kakashi. I nodded and scratched the back of my head.

"That's what I said to Zane, but he seemed pretty sure," I replied. We were both silent for a moment and for a sec I thought Kakashi was going to just leave, but he started to talk soon enough.

"Well, I have no feelings for you. Now we can go back," informed Kakashi as he then started to walk away. I gave a relieved sign and followed behind Kakashi with a smile.

"That's good or my plan for getting out of the marriage would be ruined," I giggled. Kakashi gave me a curious look as in asking me what I was talking about.

"You see if you had feelings for me then the ruining the marriage wouldn't work. Though, I don't have a plan just yet," I explained. Kakashi gave a small chuckle, but didn't say anything in return. It seemed that he wasn't going to talk again, but I had a quick question for him that should keep him talking.

"So, what was that thing you should've told me?" I asked the masked jonin. Kakashi gave me a slightly nervous look, which quickly changed to an annoyed one.

"It was nothing," answered Kakashi. I gave a sad sigh, but kept on asking.

"Come on Kakashi! I really want to know and I'm too lazy to take down that mind block you have up," I whined. Kakashi gave a sigh and rolled his eye.

"Really it was nothing, just something about the marriage and Hokage thing," Kakashi finally answered. Though, he really didn't tell me the actual question, but I'll let it go because he seemed annoyed with me at the moment.

"Oh… Oh yeah! I forgot about that Hokage thing! Just think of it. If I hadn't left the village, I could be Hokage right now," I exclaimed. Kakashi gave a scoff, as he didn't believe me.

"Hey! I would of made a great Hokage!" I defended. Kakashi just shook his head and continued walking. We were almost back to the others.

"Well, you can't be Hokage now," informed Kakashi. I gave a slight glare towards the older jonin and crossed my arms.

"I know I can't be Hokage now because I went rogue, but I still have the qualities for one," I said.

"Like what?" Questioned Kakashi as we neared Yamato and Naruto.

"I have good battle strategies, I handle difficult situations good, I'm an excellent fighter and I was a Caption of my own team," I explained. Kakashi let out another scoff and I gave another glare.

"You're just jealous that I was going to be the 5th Hokage," I teased and walked ahead of Kakashi. I looked towards Naruto and Yamato to see that both their eyes were wide in surprise.

"What?" I asked the two. They were slightly creeping me out. Why were they looking at me like that?

"You… You were going to be Hokage?" Questioned Naruto with a sad, but also shocked tone. I gave a smile and a sharp nod towards the boy.

"Yep! Though, I would've turned it down if I had stayed in the village. All that paperwork would drive me crazy!" I told the blond, who had a defeated look. I looked towards at Kakashi for a moment, hoping he would say something to lighten the mood, but it was Yamato who talked first.

"Now you have an opponent to surpass Naruto. Lark-san is very strong, so if you can prove better then her then you're capable of being Hokage," Yamato told Naruto. It took a second, but soon Naruto gave me a determined look.

"Just wait and I'll become Hokage!" Exclaimed Naruto. I shook me head at the boy and gave a sigh.

"Well, you've already surpassed me with that wind Rasengen of yours, so I'm not doubting your fighting. Your brains on the other hand, needs some work," I told the genin. He seemed happy that I praised his fighting, but he seemed oblivious to my insult to his smarts. You can see why he needs to work at that.

Naruto then ran out into the field and begun training again. That boy was god damn determined and it somewhat scared me. That boy has the strength, but without brains… He won't stand a chance against Leader. Oh well! We can worry about Leader later because right now I have to worry about the two Akatsuki members coming to the Leaf right now. If they find me, I'm either dead literally or I'm going to be taken back and be abused by Mika… Please don't let them find me!

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please review it makes me happy and want to write more! Bye Bye :)<strong>


	22. Chapter 21

**Hello! Sorry about posting this late! I wanted to have this chapter out before August, but sort of got side tracked :/ Just to warn you that this chapter probably sucks big time! I had a hard time writing it and I think it's because I didn't really like this arc in the show... Anyway, I hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto in any way! (I think I'll stop writing the disclaimer. If you've read the previous chapters-like you should- you'll know I don't own Naruto)**

* * *

><p>Night had finally fallen and everyone was asleep, except for me. I don't even remember the last time I had a full night sleep. If I don't get sleep soon, I don't think I'll be any help with anything for a while. Actually, I'm still pretty aware when I have no sleep. Guess it's the years of having insomnia and ninja training.<p>

I tried to fake sleep, hoping it would trick my brain into actual sleep, but no luck. So, I settled on thinking up ideas for getting out of the arranged marriage. I was determined to get out of this because there was no way my father was going to control my life after death.

My first idea is to prove that Kakashi likes males and has a male lover or something like that. I know he said he wasn't gay, but I think he's at least bi. The other idea is to tell everyone he's sterile. The point of this marriage is to have children, so if Kakashi can't have kids the marriage is useless. Though, Tsunade would probably want tests done to prove if Kakashi was really sterile. Hopefully he really is and doesn't want to say anything or I'm going to have to find another way.

Call my ideas crazy, but usually my plans work. Though, I've never had to solve a marriage problem, all my plans dealt with missions. Let's just hope I have a knack for relationship problems and getting out of relationships. I highly doubt it…

As I was still lost in my thoughts, I begun to get bored. Even my own mind can bore me from time to time. I was thinking about sneaking into either Naruto's or Yamato's minds, since I wanted to see what went on in there. Though, just as I was about to act on my thought, someone began shaking my shoulder.

I ignored the person and pretended to be sound asleep, but the person wasn't leaving me alone. They keep shaking me, then started poking me, they then started to whisper my name, but finally the person got frustrated and stopped. When I thought the person had given up, I was greeted with a swift kick to my right leg.

My eyes shot open and I grunted a bit in pain, not that the kick actually hurt, but it will leave a bruise. I sat up and rubbed where the person kicked. As I was doing that the person sighed to signal he was there. Already knowing whom it was, I sent a very angry glare towards the silver haired jonin.

"Can't a girl get some sleep?" I asked, slightly pissed off. Kakashi shook his head and rolled his visible eye.

"I know you weren't sleeping," stated the jonin as he offered me his hand to help me up. I just glared at the out stretched hand and swatted it away, getting up by myself. Kakashi rolled his eye again and dropped his rejected hand to his side.

"Why are you waking me this early?" I asked, but more in a hushed tone this time when I noticed Naruto and Yamato were still asleep.

"I need you to come with me," answered Kakashi. The masked jonin then began walking away signalling for me to follow, but I didn't. I stayed where I was and waited for Kakashi to notice I wasn't moving.

It didn't take Kakashi long to figure out I wasn't following him. He looked back at my still form, sighed, and then walked back over to me.

"What is it?" Questioned Kakashi, who was slightly annoyed. I gave a questioning glare, trying to figure out what Kakashi's motive was without verbally asking.

"I need you for something very important, so can you please come on," pressed Kakashi. I still didn't move.

"We're going on a mission," stated the irritated jonin. I gave a curious look, but I shrugged and started to walk. From behind I heard Kakashi sigh and then followed to catch up. When we were far enough away, I started to talk in a regular tone.

"So, what kind of mission do we have to go on that involves you waking me up this early?" I asked. I didn't really believe that we actually had a mission, but was curious as to why I needed to be up.

"Well, we don't actually have the mission yet, but I'm positive we will very soon," answered Kakashi. I was confused again and was about to ask another question, but Kakashi put his arm out to stop me.

I was about to shove his arm away and keep walking, but was stopped by voices from around the corner. The voices didn't sound familiar, except for the voice of Tsunade. Glancing at my surroundings, I realized we were at the front gate. As I was glancing around, the conversation between Tsunade and the others stopped, and I noticed that Kakashi had left my side.

Quickly, I looked around for him and saw him standing next to Tsunade. As they were talking about something, I slowly made my way beside Kakashi. I was trying to act like I wasn't there and slightly hid behind the tall jonin, but the three teenagers that were there noticed me and sent me weird looks. You could tell they didn't really like me.

"What's going on?" I whispered into Kakashi ear. The jonin didn't turn to answer, but whispered back so no one, but me, could hear him.

"We're going after the Akatsuki," stated the silverette. My eyes widened in shock and I tuned out the rest of the world for a sec.

We were going after the Akatsuki? Were these guys suicidal or are they just crazy? I was so caught up in the shock that Kakashi had to grab my arm and pull me along for a bit. I snapped out of my shock, just as we were entering the forest, and tugged my arm away from Kakashi. As everyone kept going, I stopped. Kakashi looked back at me and waited till I moved, and when he realized I wasn't going to, he came over to me.

"What's wrong?" Asked Kakashi. The three teenagers also stopped and gave me an irritated look, mad that they had to stop moving.

"We're going after the Akatsuki! That's what's wrong!" I exclaimed. I glared at the whole team and they all gave determined looks.

"What's wrong with you three? Do you even have any idea what you are doing?" I questioned the teens. Two of the three looked away from my angry gaze, but the lazy looking one held my gaze with determination.

"We're doing this for Asuma-sensei, and I have a plan to stop these Akatsuki members," answered the boy. I scoffed, but still held the boy's gaze.

"Let's here it then," I spat. The boy nodded, walked over to a flat rock and crouched down. Everyone followed his movements, except I just leaned against a near by rock and stared in disbelief.

"Ok, let's hear this plan of yours, Shikamaru," said Kakashi once we were all listening.

"I actually want to tweak it a little now that you and Lark are here," stated Shikamaru. Kakashi nodded and I just scoffed again.

"Shikamaru? Do you really think we can trust her? I mean she was part of the Akatsuki?" Asked the blonde girl; trying to make sure I didn't hear. The other boy nodded in agreement, both Kakashi and Shikamaru glanced at me.

"That all depends on what Akatsuki members we're up against. There are a few I'd like to see dead and I know which ones we'll be able to take," I told them before they could say anything. Though, it didn't matter which members they were. None of these brats could take on any Akatsuki member.

"Hidan and Kakuzu," informed Shikamaru. I let out a loud laugh and everyone stared at me, but that didn't stop my laughter.

"You think you can take on the Zombie Brothers? Oh, that's rich!" I laughed. No one appreciated my laughing, but I found that it was very suiting for the situation. These brats actually thought they could eliminate two basically immortal guys? Hilarious!

"I'm guessing you know a lot about them," muttered Shikamaru. My laughter settled down a bit and I nodded.

"Of course I do! I would love to see them dead, but sadly Hidan can't die and Kakuzu… Well, let's say that it'll take a lot of fatal hits before you see his lifeless body," I giggled. I wasn't going to tell then exactly what the two Akatsuki members could do, that would ruin the fun.

"Are you going to tell us anything else about them?" Asked the blonde, who was slightly angry. I shook my head and placed a smirk on my face, letting them know that I was going to have fun watching them struggle.

"Lark, it would be very-," started Kakashi, but I cut him off.

"I know it would be helpful if I told you, but then the fun's gone. Besides, I haven't given you any information on the Akatsuki yet, so why start now?" I smiled. Both Kakashi and Shikamaru looked annoyed, the girl looked mad, and the very large boy looked upset. Oh, how I love messing with people's emotions!

"Fine. Lark, I need to know your abilities, so I can change the plan a bit," Shikamaru told me, but I stayed quiet with a smirk on my face.

"She's an expert with genjustu, has a lightning nature and has a Kekkei Genkai that can read and control minds," Kakashi answered for me. I sent a glare towards him. I didn't want to help and he knew it, but he also knew that once I was involved in a fight, it took a lot to make me stop and that's what he wanted.

"Ok, so here's the plan. You all have to listen closely," said Shikamaru after thinking for a moment. We all nodded, though I was the only one who gave an annoyed sigh.

I ignored the whole explanation that Shikamaru was giving. There were bits of it that I did hear and I have to give the Nara kid some points. Even though I didn't believe they'd come out of this alive, the plan did sound pretty good.

"Now Lark…" Started Shikamaru, glancing towards me with a serious look on his face. Everyone else looked towards me as well, all of them having different emotions. Ino looked like she didn't trust me one bit. Choji actually looked scared with a little bit of uneasiness towards me. Then Kakashi had looked towards me without his lazy look, but a look that told me that he wasn't going to let me leave without helping them fight.

"First off, if your plan has anything to do with mind control, then just cross it out now. Mind control uses up a lot of chakra and is very risky. If used, I'll be in the hospital for a week at least," I told the Nara. The boy was quiet for a sec and then looked me in the eye.

"Good thing mind control wasn't in the plan," stated Shikamaru. My eyes widen slightly as I was a bit shocked that the chunin didn't want to use my mind control. I know that Ino's clan specialized in mind justu, but once I was placed on any team, my mind control was immediately thrown into the plan. Then I have to reason with the team's captain, but luckily I was usually captain for my own team.

"You will keep your mind open, so you can sense how close the Akatsuki is to us. Then, before we in counter them face to face, I want you to hide from their view. We don't want them to know that you're with us. If they did know that could lead to-," Shikamaru started to explain.

"It could lead to my death and raise the percentage of your guys' death. I like the plan so far. At least someone wants to keep me alive," I smirked. Shikamaru gave a little smirk as well and then continued on with the plan.

"The only time I want you to come out of hiding is when Kakashi-sensei signals you. Then you can fight whoever and however you want," finished the chunin. Everyone, including me, gave Shikamaru a very shocked looked. None of us believed what the boy genius just said.

"Are you serious?" I asked in disbelief. Shikamaru gave a quick nod and stood up.

"Shikamaru! You can't give her the freedom to do that! She'll turn on us for sure," argued Ino with Choji nodding along. Shikamaru shrugged and turned to Kakashi, silently telling him that it was time to go. Kakashi didn't seem that shocked anymore and actually looked like he understood what Shikamaru was doing.

"Now then. The first thing we half to do is pick up their trail," instructed Shikamaru. Choji seemed a bit confused, but quickly realized what Shikamaru meant. I wasn't actually paying attention to anything that was being said. I was busy going over what Shikamaru had explained.

This kid, who's known as a genius, just told me that I could basically turn on them whenever. Who in their right mind would do that? I wouldn't even do that and I'm the one who's the criminal. I'm even more surprised that Kakashi didn't say anything about it. He's the captain of this team and you'd think he wouldn't want someone from his team turning on them. What is wrong with the people in the Leaf?

Now I have to decide to either betray the Leaf, again, or betray the Akatsuki, again sort of… Why is nothing in life easy? There is a bad out come for both situations. If I fight with them, the Akastuki will kill me, but if I fight against them, the Leaf will kill because I'm an Akatsuki member again.

"Ready to go Lark?" Asked Kakashi, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded and we all began to move. I decided to stay quiet, not wanting to strike up a conversation that might make my situation even worse. No one tried to talk to me anyway; they would talk amongst themselves and leave me out of it. Even Kakashi left me alone and I thought for sure he'd try to make me fight with them.

Soon we had come to a stop in some dead area with no grass and very tall, dead trees. It seemed that we had no way in tracking Hidan and Kakuzu by scent or tracks. Guess I'll have to find out where they are sooner then I thought, but should I actually say where they are? Shikamaru probably has another plan just in case I decided to go against the team early.

"How do we find them?" Asked Kakashi who had looked at me first then at Shikamaru. The Nara looked in the sky for a second and caught sight of a hawk flying above.

"That's how," stated Shikamaru, directing the statement towards the bird. Ino seemed to know what he meant and and had used her clan's Mind Transfer jutsu on the Hawk.

I had uncovered my right eye, closing my left eye, as soon as Ino's body went limp and began searching for Hidan's and Kakazu's mind. It wasn't that hard to find Hidan's since he's a loud mouth both out loud and in his head. That meant Kakuzu was with him and it only took me a second to find him as well.

At the moment when I opened my left eye to signal I was done searching, Ino had returned to her body with a quick gasp. We all looked towards her with questioning glances, Choji asking if she was all right and Shikamaru asking if they spotted her.

"I think we're all right. They're taking a different route just like you predicted. If we head North East we'll run into them, it'll take about ten minutes," Ino told Shikamaru. Kakashi and Shikamaru looked at me so I could confirm, and I gave a nod in reply.

"They're close, but Kakuzu is aware that they're being followed. Hidan on the other hand is clueless," I said. Kakashi gave a nod and instructed that we should go, but before we left, the jonin pulled me aside and way from the other three.

"Lark, you stay behind us and hide as soon as you hear the Akatsuki's thoughts without expanding your range," said Kakashi. I gave a nod and rolled my eyes.

"I know what the plan is Kakashi. Don't have to tell me twice," I mumbled. Kakashi sighed and put his hand on more shoulder as if he was going to give me a heart filled speech.

"I know what you're thinking Lark, and I hope I know what you're getting yourself into," whispered Kakashi so the others would hear. I gave the masked jonin a confused look and then replaced it with a smirk.

"Kakashi. I'm the mind reader, so you have no idea what I'm thinking," I sassed. Kakashi just shook his head and dropped his hand from my shoulder. He gave me a concerned look and then him and the three chunin ran off with him. I ran after after a few seconds to put some space between us.

It wasn't long before I heard the loud thoughts of Hidan and hid behind a tree close to where the others were hiding. Kakuzu and Hidan then showed up and walked by without noticing anything, but I knew better then that. They knew we were close as soon as Shikamaru activated his Shadow Possession jutsu. Then I nearly gave away my hiding spot when I noticed Hidan's cloak was half torn!

"That bastard! Does he know how much those things cost!?" I exclaimed under my breath. Those cloaks take a lot of time and money to make, and Hidan just goes around tearing it to pieces. That immortal bastard is lucky I'm not fighting or I would tear every limb from his body!

After my little fit, the two Akatsuki members jumped out of the shadows' way, just as I thought, but were quickly greeted by paper bombs. Then when the smoke cleared and it was obvious the two weren't harmed, Shikamaru threw some more paper bombs, but these were fake. The fakes were dodged, but the shadow jutsu wasn't, since Shikamaru attached his jutsu to the chakra blades he threw with the fakes.

Both Akatsuki members were taken by surprise by Shikamaru's plan. I could tell that Kakuzu was going over what had just happened, but Hidan was just flaying his lips and shouting at Kakuzu. I never liked Hidan, he was always too loud for my liking.

I sort of tuned out the fight for a while. There was no need for me to actually watch it until I was certain I was going in soon. So I sat down where I was and waited for Kakashi to call me.

I still hadn't figured out what I was going to do, but I had an idea. So, while still paying a bit of attention to the fight, I planned out what I was going to do and that didn't take as long as I thought. It was probably a sloppy plan, but I really didn't care all that much. I'm a dead woman anyway.

By the time I had my plan all figured out, Kakashi had just pierced Kakuzu's heart with his Chidori. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the fact that Kakuzu didn't sense Kakashi coming up behind him. Though, that trick will only work once…

Kakashi was heading towards Hidan with his Chidori activated and had nearly hit the immortal bastard, but was stopped by a kick to the gut. That kick sent Kakashi flying into a tree with a very hard landing.

I laughed again at all the shocked faces that my team had when they saw that it was Kakuzu who had kicked Kakashi. The shock in their eyes only grew when Kakuzu revealed four masks on his back, one of the four being broken. As the others were trying to figure out what was going on, the masks broke free from Kakuzu's back and each one became their own being, except the broken mask died as soon as it stood up.

"Lark!" Called Kakashi when he realized they were going to need a lot of help. I groaned in annoyance when my name was called. That was our signal? I would've thought it would a bit more secretive…

"That's how you signal me? Yelling my name so I can't do any sneak attacks. Really Kakashi, I thought you knew better then that," I scoffed as I came out from behind a near by tree. As I revealed myself, Hidan gave a confused look that turned into satisfactory soon after.

"Now we have another on our side!" Laughed Hidan. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity and I'm only guessing Kakuzu did as well.

"You idiot! Look at her headband. It's obvious she's on their side," stated Kakuzu. Hidan was confused again and took a quick look at my headband.

"You betrayed us Lark! How could you?" Yelled Hidan. I shrugged and walked closer to where Kakashi was standing.

"It's quite easy actually," I simply said, untying my headband as I walked.

"All you have to do is not help the people you're leaving behind and feel no guilt," I explained. When I got to Kakashi, I could tell that he already knew what I was doing. So, I threw my headband at him and he caught it one handed.

"It was nice seeing you again Kakashi, but next time we meet, one of us will die," I smirked and then turned away from the masked jonin. Kakashi didn't even seem fazed by my betrayal, but it's obvious he suspected it.

"So, have fun with the fight!" I cheered. I then performed a quick transportation jutsu and I was gone before anyone could stop me.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! I have no clue when the next chapter will be since my mind is coming to a blank for ideas. So... I'm open to ideas! I might not use them, but they might get my mind rolling! :D<strong>

**Please review! Bye Bye!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Hello! It seems that I got this chapter out sooner then I thought :D I hope you guys like this one!**

* * *

><p>I arrived at my destination within seconds and stumbled a bit before I had firmly placed my feet on the ground. When I was standing straight, I took a look around at my surroundings, not really remembering where I had placed the seal in case I needed a quick escape. Before I knew where I was, a thought hit me.<p>

"Why didn't I use this before now?" I asked myself. I could've easily avoided all this if I had transported myself before my chakra was taken away. Slapping my forehead for my own stupidity, a sudden nauseating feeling came over me.

"That's why…" I groaned as I clutched my stomach, afraid that I was going to vomit. Space-Time ninjutsu was never my favourite since I always got sick after using it.

Crouching down while I hugged my stomach, I waited for the nausea to go away. Thankfully, I didn't throw up and the awful feeling went away after a few minutes. So, after that was done, I stood up and looked at the area I was in.

All I really saw were trees, since I was in a forest, so I started to walk until I found a path or something. Though, it didn't take me very long to reach a dirt road that I was very familiar with. Before I could run to where I knew Mika and Jiro would be, hopefully, I stopped when I heard a voice.

"Senpai! Wait for me!" Yelled a very child like voice. I had hid behind some bushes, not wanting to be seen just in case it was someone who wanted me dead.

I heard a groan and peered out from behind the bush, only to see a man with an orange mask and a blond, both wearing Akatsuki cloaks.

"Deidara!" I shouted and jumped from my hiding spot. The blond bomber looked at me with surprise, then confusion, then it changed to happiness, then back to confusion.

"Lark?" Questioned Deidara. I rolled my eyes and smirked at the younger blond.

"Of course it's me! How many blonde, teal haired people do you know?" I laughed. Deidara's confusion was gone and a smile appeared on his face. I gave a friendlier smile in return and before I could say anything, the masked man said something.

"Is this Senpai's girlfriend," giggled the kid, or I thought it was a kid since he sounded pretty childish. Both Deidara's and mine smiles dropped and we both gave irritated glares at the masked person.

"NO!" Exclaimed Deidara and me at the same time, causing the kid to shrink back a little in fear. I turned my gaze to back to Deidara, but without the glare, and when we made eye contact, I realized something.

"You bastard!" I shouted and launched myself at the surprised bomber. Deidara didn't have time to dodge and I quickly had him pinned to the ground with no way of getting free.

"What the hell!" Screeched Deidara as he tried to get free from my grip. I glared down at the man; my bangs had revealed my Kokoro no Ressun, so I only looked scarier with the anger I had in both eyes.

"You fucking left me for dead when we went against those Leaf ninjas! You could have helped me out since I was passed out!" I growled. Deidara broke eye contact with me, but he was still angry that I had him pinned. That masked guy didn't seem to want to get in my way, which was a smart idea at this moment, since he was whining in the background and keeping his distance.

"Well sorry! I already got crap about that from everyone else, so I don't need it from you. Besides, you look very much alive to me," grunted the bomber. I tightened my grip that I had on his wrists, not caring for his "apology".

"I thought we were friends and then you leave me behind. You better have a good fucking reason for ditching me or I'll kill you," I threatened. Deidara gulped, fear finally sinking in when he realized that I was dead serious.

"I… I… It was that…" Stumbled Deidara. I growled, letting the blond know that I was inpatient for an answer and was in a very bad mood at this point.

"Lark!" Called an all too familiar voice making me look up and seeing my two best friends running towards us. My glare changed to a happy smile as I let go of Deidara and ran towards my friends, where Mika knocked me down as she glomped me.

"I'm so glad you're alive! I though you were dead and that I'd never see you again!" cried my brunette friend. I laughed at Mika's reaction and hugged her back, this action only made her grip onto me harder.

"Mika? Can't… Breath," I gasped. Mika immediately let go, allowing me to catch my breath. Once I could breathe again, we both stood up and looked towards Deidara who was being helped up by Jiro.

I didn't smile when I saw my friend, though I wanted to, I didn't even look at the red head. Instead I glared at Deidara again and he glared back at me, but he wouldn't look me in the eyes.

"I helped Senpai! Tobi's a good boy!" Cheered the masked guy. We all turned to look at the cheerful man. Deidara and I glared at him while Jiro and Mika smiled at him.

"I could have gotten out of it myself!" Argued Deidara and I laughed at him, as did everyone else.

"From the looks of it, I'm pretty certain Lark would've killed you if Tobi hadn't come and told us," Jiro told Deidara. The blond huffed and looked away from the red head, making us all laugh again.

I stopped laughing and walked towards Deidara, who flinched when he saw me coming over. My fists were clenched, making him flinch again and the blond moved behind Jiro just a bit for protection. I smiled at Jiro before swinging my fist at Deidara, hitting him right in the gut. The bomber let out a cry and hunched over in pain. I gave a triumphant smirk as Jiro patted Deidara's back in a comforting way.

"That's for ditching me and you're lucky Jiro's here or that punch would've been a lot worse," I snapped before turning away from the groaning man and made my way to the masked guy.

"You must be new. I'm Lark and thanks for getting Mika and Jiro or who knows what I would've done," I said to the man. The guy laughed and took my outstretched hand into his.

"I'm Tobi! Glad I could help my senpai," giggled Tobi. I smiled at the guy and then looked over at Deidara, who was slowly standing up straight.

"That's cute. He calls you Senpai," I teased making the blond send me a glare. I rolled my eyes and went to stand by Mika who was laughing at the scene before her.

Not long after our "reunion", I guess you could call it, we were all inside The Dark Cloud, the bar that Jiro, Mika and I run, but it looked like it has actually been closed for awhile. We were all sitting at the bar, Deidara keeping his distance from me, and Mika was pestering me with questions.

"I'll answer your questions in a second, but tell me why there is dust on all the tables," I told the hyper brunette. Mika frown slightly and looked away from me.

"Well… After you were kidnapped, Leader-sama ordered that this place to be shut down because it was used for spying and it was no use since our main spy was gone," explained Mika. My shoulders slumped and I had I frown that matched Mika's.

"Also, since the Akatsuki are making moves on the jinjurikis, we can't risk being caught," continued Jiro. I frowned even more at that fact. It took me along time to build this place from scratch. I might not like seeing all the drunk jerks that came in or working here, but it was sad that my hard work had been somewhat of a waste.

"Oh well! I didn't like working in a bar anyway. The only up side was that I could drink, but I don't even like drinking that much anyway," I shrugged not long after. Both of my friends smiled, Tobi giggled and Deidara rolled his visible eye.

"So, what happened when the Leaf took you?" Asked Mika. I thought for a minute and decided that it wouldn't hurt to lie. No one really needed to know the truth and it's not like any of the Leaf would say anything. Hidan and Kakuzu won't be able to say that I just left them either since I'm pretty sure they're dead or are going to die.

"Umm… They questioned me, but they got no information, then they took away my chakra. They had me on a 24/7 watch and when they thought I wasn't a threat, and thought that I'd talk, I had my chakra given back. I then used a transportation jutsu to get the hell out of there," I explained. Mika nodded in understanding and Jiro just smiled.

"Wel, at least you're back in one piece. Did you see any familiar faces?" Asked Jiro almost in a joking type why. They all probably thought I'd joke about it, but when I answered I wasn't laughing.

"I did actually. I saw Iruka, Gai, Kakashi and Jun," I answered. Deidara and Tobi didn't seem too interested in the names I just listed, but why should they care? They didn't know any of them. Mika and Jiro on the other hand both gave me a wide-eyed look.

"You saw Jun and Kakashi?" Asked Jiro with a bit of caution. I nodded in response and then looked Jiro right in the eyes.

"Your brother is still a douche," I told the red head, who laughed as a reply. Tobi had asked who Jun was, but Mika and Deidara smacked him on the head to keep him quiet. Jun wasn't a topic anyone wanted to talk about.

"So, what happened when you saw Kakashi?" Giggled Mika. I rolled my eyes at the brunette's change in attitude. Whenever the opportunity to talk about past boyfriends, or past fiancés I should say, Mika was a giggling mess and always wanted every detail.

"Nothing really. We had a few yelling matches, but nothing serious. Kakashi did act a bit strange though," I told Mika. The green-eyed woman still had a silly smile on her face as she giggled at what I said. I don't know why she was giggling since what I said wasn't funny, but I let it go.

"We're going to have to tell Leader-sama that you're back and explain your situation. Some of the Akatsuki believe you betrayed us," informed Jiro. The smile I had been wearing dropped and Mika stopped her giggling.

"They think I betrayed them? I passed out for goodness sake! Didn't Deidara tell them anything," I exclaimed throwing a glare in the blond's direction.

"I did explain what happened! It was Itachi who thought you left us when you didn't come back for a few days," argued Deidara. My glared turned into shocked wide-eyes at the mention of Itachi. In all honesty I hadn't even thought about Itachi since I last spoke to him. So, he actually told them that I was staying with the leaf. That bastard!

"Itachi? That ass is going to pay for that!" I growled. Just as I was about to slam my fist on the table, a familiar voice popped in my head.

"_Didn't think you wanted to talk to me anymore," _said the voice of the bastard I wanted dead. I was shocked he said that I had contacted him, but then I realized that I must have connected our bond while I was cursing him in my mind. I hated when that happened! I could be just thinking about saying 'hi' to someone I have a bond with and sometimes it connects our bond. Stupid bloodline jutsu…

"_I didn't mean to contact you, but since you're here now… WHY DID YOU TELL EVERYONE I BETRAYED THEM?"_ I yelled at Itachi. Everyone that was in the room with me gave me strange looks as to why I had gone silent, but all I had to do was point to my head and pretend I was strangling someone for them to understand. Not wanting to make everyone feel awkward, I went to go stand outside.

"_Didn't you betray them? That's what it sounded like to me,"_ replied Itachi, not even fazed by my outburst.

"_I said I didn't betray them! You're just mad that I mentioned your little brother,"_ I hissed. I really wanted to ring that Uchiha's neck!

"_Oh! I was told about your brother, Sasuke right? He sounds like a lovely boy,"_ I said sarcastically. It probably wasn't a smart idea to piss the Uchiha, I was mad and when I'm mad I tend to make everyone else mad.

"_You don't want to make me angry Lark,"_ growled Itachi. I smirked at the challenge.

"_Maybe I do. You shouldn't have told everyone a lie and then maybe I wouldn't be picking on you,"_ I told the weasal. It was very hard to make Itachi mad, but it seemed that I had a talent for it. It might not be a very good talent to have, but it sure was fun.

"_You know I can't blame him for leaving the Leaf. All his memories of that place are probably stained with you killing his family. I'd say that it was your family too, but you can't really call them that since you're the reason they're gone,"_ I taunted when Itachi didn't say anything. I really wanted to piss off the Uchiha now. It was fun to watch that calm mask of his crack and reveal what was underneath.

"_Watch it Lark. You know what I'm capable of,"_ threatened Itachi. My smirk faded, but my eyes stayed in the glare.

"_I do know since I experienced it first hand, but I wouldn't be pushing you if you hadn't pissed me of,"_ I told Itachi.

"_Well if you know what I can do, I'm surprised you try to make me angry. Shouldn't you be scared of me?"_ Questioned Itachi. My glare hardened and I clenched my fists.

"_Maybe I'm scared of you a little bit, but I usually just turn my fear into anger,"_ I stated and before the Uchiha could say anything, I blocked the bond.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I went back inside. When I entered to building I thought I'd see everyone talking calmly. I saw them talking, but they weren't calm.

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST SAY IT?" Yelled Mika as I entered the room. Deidara, Jiro and Mika were all glaring at each other, while Tobi was staying as far away from the three as he could.

"BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE!" Shouted Deidara. None of them seemed to realize that I had come back, so I went over to Tobi.

"Umm… Tobi? What are they fighting about?" I asked the masked man. Tobi jumped a bit at my voice, but quickly recovered.

"Mika-chan is saying that Senpai and Jiro-kun _like_ each other, but they're denying it," answered Tobi. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Not this argument again…

Mika was just as bad as me when it comes to Jiro's love life. I'll just tease the redhead and not even mention anything to Deidara, but Mika yells at both of them for not seeing the obvious.

"Of course it's true! You guys must be blind for not seeing it!" Argued Mika. The three continued on with their yelling match while Tobi and I just watched. It wasn't long until I started to get a headache from all the yelling.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled. Everyone went silent and looked at me with wide-eyes.

"You guys are acting like children. So, I'm going to be the adult and settle this," I told the three. No one said anything; all of them knew not to argue with me when I was this annoyed. They also knew that after a conversation with Itachi, I wasn't the happiest person on earth.

"Ok. Mika, be quiet and leave the guys alone. Deidara and Jiro, I want you two to go into Jiro's room and sort this all out," I ordered. Jiro and Deidara were about to protest, but stopped before they could speak when they saw my expression. I was dead serious.

So, without any arguments, Jiro and Deidara left. After we heard the door to Jiro's room close, I let out a sigh.

"Do you think they're actually going to talk?" Asked Mika. I turned towards the brunette and shrugged.

"I don't know. I really just wanted the quiet, but I do hope they figure something out or else I'm going to tie them to each other until they do," I sighed. Mika giggled, as did Tobi.

"Well, I'm going to go see if I can get some sleep. I haven't slept for almost a week," I said while walking towards my room.

"But I still want to talk!" Exclaimed Mika as she grabbed for my arm. Luckily, I'm a lot quicker then her, so she wasn't able to grab me.

"Talk to Tobi then. I'm tired and don't want to answer thousands of your questions," I told the brunette. Mika pouted, but didn't say anything more. As soon as I started walking again, I heard her talking to Tobi about some random thing. That woman couldn't stay quiet for more then a minute.

When I got to my room, I saw that nothing was changed. Though, I knew, just by knowing my friends so well, that someone had gone through some of my drawers. I checked all the drawers and saw that nothing was taken. Not like there was anything of value anyway…

I took off my jacket and threw in the wooden chair that was in the corner. My aim wasn't very good and the jacket missed the chair, hit the wall and landed on the floor. As I watched it fall, I decided just to leave it, but when it hit the ground I heard a sound coming from the jacket. So, after giving the piece of clothing a strange and confused look, I went over and picked it up.

As I was rummaging through the pockets, I thought I must be paranoid or something because the sound was probably just the zipper hitting the floor. Though, that thought left me when I found something in the pocket.

_That's strange… I don't remember putting anything in my pocket…_ I thought to myself. I pulled the object out and saw that it was a piece of paper with a ring tied to it. The ring didn't look like anything special. It was just a plain, silver band that had no importance to me, so I threw the ring on my dresser and unfolded the paper.

It was a note and the handwriting was very familiar. It was the only handwriting that I saw when I was in the Leaf. _How did he get into me pocket? Sneaky ninja…_

Hey Lark, I know you're not planning on staying in the Leaf and that you'll probably find this after you've left, but I got to tell you something. I should've told you th-

My reading was cut of by a knock on the door. Before I answered it, I crumpled up the note and threw it beside the ring.

"What?" I asked as I opened the door. It was Jiro who had knocked and he had a small smile on his face.

"Umm… Well, Deidara and Tobi left. Just thought you should know," answered the redhead. I narrowed my eyes a bit to show that I didn't care at all, but I pulled Jiro into my room before he could leave. I shut the door and locked since I didn't want Mika coming in here.

"Please tell me that you two talked," I whined, sort of tired with this whole subject. I was dead serious on tying them to each other if they don't talk about their feelings.

"We talked…" Started Jiro, but he didn't continue.

"Let me rephrase that. Please tell me you guys finally realized you like each other," I said. Jiro knew he wasn't getting out of this conversation, but you could tell that he did not want talk about it.

"Yeah…" Mumbled the redhead. I urged Jiro to continue after he was silent for a moment.

"I told him I liked him and he told me that he used to have a crush on me, but…" Jiro trailed off and I stared at him wide eyed.

"Used to?" I questioned. Jiro gave a sad nod and I quickly went over to give him a hug. Since I was only 5'5" and Jiro was 6', I only came up to his chest, but Jiro still accepted the hug with full force. You'd think the guy had just lost a loved one, which he sort of did…

"You know what? He doesn't deserve you anyway. Deidara is just a loud mouth, idiot that doesn't know what's good for him," I told the redhead. Jiro let put a soft chuckle and gave me a small squeeze.

"Weren't you the one trying to get us together?" Chuckled Jiro. I gave a small laugh and slowly let go of the taller man.

"At first, but after he left me for dead my feelings for him changed," I said making both of us laugh.

"Did you tell Mika?" I asked after a second of silence.

"Of course, she bombarded me with questions as soon as Deidara and Tobi left," replied Jiro. I thought for a second and then my eyes grew slightly.

"She didn't run after them did she? I can just imagine her going after Deidara and beating him till he can't stand," I laughed. Jiro laughed with me and shook his head.

"No, she's just sitting at the bar drinking. You'd think she was just dumped," said Jiro. I sighed and shook my head at my friend's actions. Mika always did like to drink…

I went to go open the door, so Jiro and I could go stop Mika from getting drunk, but was stopped by Jiro.

"What's this?" Asked Jiro as he held up the ring I had found in my pocket. I shrugged and waved it off.

"I don't know, I just found it in my pocket," I shrugged not really thinking twice about it. Jiro examined the ring some more, and after a few seconds his eyes went wide.

"Lark, this is and engagement ring…"

* * *

><p><strong>Bit of a cliff hanger there, haha... Though, you guys can probably guess what's going to happen :P<strong>

**Hope you liked it and please tell me what you thought! I should have the next chapter up before this time next week, I've already starting write it :)**


	24. Chapter 23

**Here's chapter 23! I wanted this out sooner, but got side tracked... But it's here now! :D The next chapter probably wont be done until September, I've got two horse shows,I'm going camping (There will be no internet T.T) and then school starts -.- Though, I'll try to get the next chapter out asap! **

* * *

><p>"W-what?" I stuttered. I must have heard Jiro wrong.<p>

"It's an engagement ring. How did you get this?" Asked Jiro. I didn't answer at first and just started at my friend with wide eyes. After a few moments, I rushed to my dresser and un-crumpled the note from earlier.

_Hey Lark, I know you're not planning on staying in the Leaf and that you'll probably find this after you've left, but I got to tell you something. I should've told you this a lot sooner, but you know how stubborn I can be. Then again no one is as stubborn as you._

_This should be said in person, but this way you can't punch me if you don't like what you hear. Anyway, I'll tell you about the ring first, I hope you haven't lost it. The ring was your mother's engagement ring; your dad gave it to me when I became jonin. He told me to give it to you before we got married. I was going to give it to you a week before the wedding, but then we got in that fight and then you left on that mission where you never came back. So, I decided to give it to you now._

_When it was declared that you were M.I.A, or most likely K.I.A, I felt like I just lost the last person I actually cared about. I know we didn't get along, but we used too when we were still kids. When I saw you alive, I was so happy, more then I should've been, but you were a lot different from that fifteen-year-old girl that I knew. You had changed into a mad woman and you could hear it in your laugh. I hated your new self, but once you were getting comfortable in the Leaf, I saw your old self again and old feelings came back. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really like, and possibility love, you._

_The engagement is going to be off once the Hokage finds out you left again, but I still think you should have the ring. It doesn't matter if you where the ring or not, but if you do then maybe our fathers were right._

_ Kakashi._

I stared at the note with wide eyes. Jiro had come up behind me and read the note over my shoulder. When he was done reading, Jiro had grabbed the paper from my hand and read it over again. During that, I was still frozen in spot with wide eyes. This can't be real…

"Is he serious?" Exclaimed Jiro after a few minutes. I was released from my shock and shook my head to get my thoughts straight.

"No. He can't be serious. He's probably just making a joke at the arrangment," I said. There was no way this could be true and I wasn't going to believe it.

"Lark, Kakashi was never one to make jokes or pull pranks. I know this doesn't sound like him, but explain to me why he would go to the trouble of sneaking you a love letter if it was fake?" Questioned the redhead. I shrugged and went over to Jiro to take back the note and the ring.

"I don't know, but do you honestly think he loves me? Kakashi and I don't get along, I've betrayed the Leaf twice now, and I even poked fun at his father's death. Tell me how someone could love me after that?" I asked Jiro. There was a minute of silence before Jiro answered.

"Love makes people do stupid things, even if it is making you love someone who you should hate," replied Jiro, and on that note he left the room without another word. I scoffed at what the redhead had said. Love doesn't make you do anything. It's your thoughts that do.

Sighing, I flopped down on my bed and held up the ring. For some reason I couldn't see my father actually buying this for my mother. I always thought my dad would want to get mom a big, flashy ring that she could show off. Then again, a ninja's pay wasn't the best, and from what dad told me, mom was a medic and didn't like big, fancy jewellery.

I gripped the ring in my now clenched fist as a growl escaped from my throat. Why would Kakashi do this to me? He knows I over think things and of course I'm going to question if he's lying or not. Maybe I should talk to him through the bond… No, I don't think our bond even works anymore. I hadn't tried it since our first encounter…

I sat up with a thought as to why the bond didn't work. When I was trying to get into Kakashi's mind, he was using the Sharingan, but that wouldn't have made difference. I can read Itachi's mind whenever his Sharingan is activated, it's only when his Mangekyō Sharingan. That's it! Kakashi had used some sort of Space-Time ninjutsu when Deidara lost his arm, and I think it has something to do with dimensions. I know for a fact that that type of Space-Time ninjutsu is only capable with the Mangekyō Sharingan! So, Kakashi must have been using that when I tried to connect the bond! I'm slow…

Anyway, I got off topic, now that I know what the problem was I could connect the bond. Though, did I really want to? I mean, I'll probably just yell at the masked jonin and scare him, but that's kind of what I wanted. Scaring him would be funny and it could make him not like me anymore! That's what I'll do, after I get some sleep…

I awoke with a jolt and then groaned when I saw that I had only been asleep for two hours. I hate my life sometimes and life hates me.

"Lark!" Called Mika from the other side of my door. I groaned again and put my pillow over my head, hoping it would drown out Mika's loud voice.

"Come on Lark! Open the door!" Shouted Mika as she began to pound on the door. I don't know why she doesn't just open it. Jiro had unlocked it and I didn't bother to lock it again.

The banging continued and it was starting to give me a headache. Mika was lucky that I was on this side of the door or I'd be strangling the brunette.

"For goodness sake! It's unlocked you idiot!" I yelled after I couldn't take the loud noise anymore. The door opened and in came Mika who was giggling with a bit of embarrassment because of her stupidity.

"What do you want?" I asked as I removed the pillow from my head, but remand lying face down. Mika came over and sat at the edge of my bed.

"Jiro told me about your engagement and I was curious as to why you didn't tell me before," whined the brunette. Sleep had fogged my mind, so I had no clue what she was talking about.

"What engagement?" I questioned, rolling over so I could see my friend's face. Mika let out an annoyed sigh and reach over me, grabbing the note and ring.

"The engagement you have with Kakashi," stated the brunette as she pointed to the note and held up the ring. Shock over came me, I ripped the note and ring, out of Mika's hand and read the note over.

"So it wasn't a dream…" I sulked. I did remember reading the note before, but I thought maybe I dreamed it. Apparently not…

"Of course you didn't! How could you ever think this was a dream? Never mind that, are you going to agree?" Squealed the over excited woman. I dropped the note, rubbed my eyes and groaned. Why is she so excited? I thought she hated Kakashi.

"First off, he didn't even ask me if I'd marry him, he just gave me the ring and said he loved me. Also, I don't even like Kakashi, so why would I marry him?" I told the brunette. Mika shook her head at me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh Lark… You don't see how romantic this is," sighed Mika. I gave the woman a look that asked her if she'd lost her mind, but she ignore me.

"Two people forced to marry, one of them loving the other, still holds the same feelings after their loved one joins their enemies. It's like a romance novel," sang Mika. I still looked at her with same look, but gave a little gag when she kept going on about how Kakashi and I were going to run into each other's arms. I had to place my hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"It's not romantic, it's just weird and I'm not going to run into Kakashi's arms and kiss him. Just the thought of it makes me sick," I gagged. The brunette's shoulders slumped and I already knew she was frowning. I removed my hand slowly and hoped that she'd remain quiet, but I haven't been that lucky lately…

"But Lark! You need some roma-," I had to cut Mika off before she began to rant again on love.

"If you want romance, put it in your life and not mine!" I exclaimed. Mika looked at me with a bit of hurt, but I wasn't too concerned since she bounces back from anything rather quickly.

"Fine…" Mumbled Mika before getting up off my bed. She headed for the door, but stopped and I knew it was because we both heard the same voice in our head, as well as the other Akatsuki members.

_"Both Kakuzu and Hidan have fallen. They were defeated by the Leaf ninjas,"_ began Leader-sama. I always got a bit annoyed that he could talk to all the Akatsuki members through our minds. I was supposed to be the one who was an expert with mind jutsus, but I guess I'm the mind_ reader_ and not the mind _talker_.

_"Lark has also returned to the Akatsuki. Showing us where her loyalty lies,"_ continued Leader. I was slightly shock to hear that he already knew I was back, but then again Leader seems to know everything.

_"As everyone can see, our numbers are dropping so Jiro, Mika and Lark will be joining in hunts for the jinuriki. Mika and Jiro will be joining Tobi and Deidara in the search for the Three Tails. Since the Three Tails has no host, it would be easier to capture with four then two. Lark, you'll be joining up with Itachi and Kisame in search of the Nine-tails,"_ stated Leader. I was shocked to hear whom I was paired up with.

"What?!" I exclaimed out loud. Pairing Itachi and I up didn't sound like the best idea since I just yelled at him about three hours ago.

_"There will be no arguments. Everyone is to team up now and carry on with your assignments,"_ said Leader and then he was gone. I sat on my bed with my arms crossed, pouting like a five year old.

"Well, that's great. Jiro and I get to hang around blondie and Tobi. That's going to be fun…" Mumbled Mika. Sighing, I stood up, shoved the note and ring in my pant's pocket, and walked over to my dresser.

"Yeah, it sucks, but what can we do? Just don't try to kill Deidara, leave that job to someone else because Jiro would hate you if you did," I told Mika as I pulled my top drawer open. Inside the drawer there were a bunch of scarves, all with different colours and designs, but there were three that were made from the same fabric as the coats. Pulling the three scarves out, I threw one to Mika, set another on the dresser to give Jiro, and I tied the third one around my neck.

None of us really liked the coats the Akatsuki wore, but we liked the clouds on it so I made scarves out of the same material. We weren't full members anyway, so we didn't need the coats. We wouldn't even be wearing the scarves, but this way we can sort of blend in with the rest of the Akatsuki. Also, the scarves do look cool… They should've used scarves then the coats, much easier to replace.

Mika tied her scarf around her wrist and exited the room with me following behind, after I put on my jacket. We found Jiro sitting on a bar stool with his back to us, so I thought I'd sneak up on him.

Unfolding his scarf, I quietly tip toed closer to the redhead. He didn't seem to realize that I was behind, which was sad since he was a ninja and should be able to sense me. Oh well, it will be a lot more fun if he didn't catch me anyway.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed when I wrapped the scarf around Jiro's eyes. The redhead nearly fell off his stool in surprise and was clawing at the scarf. Both Mika and I started giggling at Jiro's reaction.

"What was that for?" Asked Jiro when he got the scarf off. Mika and I were still laughing, it took us a minute to calm down.

"You were just sitting there, so we took are chance!" Giggled Mika. Jiro shook his head and tied his scarf on his pant's belt loop.

"It was so easy too! And you call yourself a ninja," I scolded Jiro playfully. Jiro just rolled his golden eyes at me and stood up.

"Mika, we should go now. We should be able to catch up with Deidara and Tobi," said Jiro. Mika pouted, but nodded her head in agreement. Both looked at me, gave me a smile and wave. Though, before they left Mika gave me a hug that nearly cut off my oxygen supply.

"Beat up Itachi for me," Mika told me when she let go. I gave a small laugh along with a confused look.

"What for?" I asked. Mika smiled back and also gave a laugh in return.

"Because he's a jackass, that's why!" Laughed the brunette causing Jiro and I to laugh as well.

"Will do," I said. Mika and Jiro then left, leaving me in the now empty bar.

"I should probably ask Itachi where he his, so I can find him…" I told myself. As much as I didn't want to, I connected the bond I had with Itachi.

_"Hey Itachi! Where are you and Kisame?"_ I asked as soon as I felt the bond connect.

_"We're close by to where you are now, so just stay there,"_ informed Itachi. I gave an "ok" in return and then cut off the bond.

Giving a sigh, I went outside to sit and wait. As I was waiting I thought of how stupid this team set up was. For one, Kisame used water jutsus and I used lightning, if our jutsus were to hit each other one of us would become grilled. Kisame and I also bicker with each other. Then there's Itachi, both of us use genjutsu, though he probably thinks he's better at it then me. Also, Itachi and I don't have the best relationship. Yes, we can get along, sometimes, but we are usually fighting. His sharingan also gave me the creeps…

Thinking about the sharingan made me think of Kakashi, unfortunately. As Kakashi popped into my head, I thought I'd sneak into his mind and hopefully find out what's going on in the Leaf. When I got the bond connected I was hit with a loud thought.

_"Next time Lark Mayumi is seen, I want her killed. There is no point in capturing her since she won't talk and I'm not giving her a chance like last time. You can see where that got us!"_ Shouted a voice from Kakashi's memories that sounded just like Tsunade. Kakashi must be replaying a scene of what happened after they came back to the Leaf.

I got a bit interested in that memory and decided to watch the full thing in colour. Luckily, I can watch memories like a movie because I don't want to be reading the whole thing. Though, the view will be through Kakashi's eyes…

_Kakashi, Yamato and Tsunade, were all standing around dead Kakuzu's body that was lying on a metal table. Tsunade looked rather pissed and was glaring right at Kakashi._

_"Why did you let that happen Kakashi? You should've told Shikamaru that that wasn't a wise move, and you should've stopped her as soon as she showed treason," growled the blonde Hokage. Kakashi's gaze shifted to the floor for a second, and then glanced back up to look Tsunade in the eye._

_"I know. It was a mistake on my part, so please do not blame Shikamaru for this," replied Kakashi. Tsunade's glare didn't lessen, but she let out a long sigh._

_"Yamato, you are free to go. I need to talk to Kakashi," Tsunade told Yamato, not turning her gaze from Kakashi. Without a word, Yamato left the room, leaving Kakashi and Tsunade._

_"Shikamaru isn't going to be blamed for this, but you are since you were Caption of that team," said Tsunade. Kakashi gave no response, so the Hokage continued._

_"Next time Lark Mayumi is seen, I want her killed. There is no point in capturing her since she won't talk and I'm not giving her a chance like last time. You can see where that got us!" Shouted the Hokage, this made Kakashi's eye widen slightly._

_"I know she was a close friend and was your fiancé, but she's dangerous and has betrayed the Leaf twice now. She gets no more chances and if I find out that you let her go the next time you see her…" Tsunade took a pause as if the next thing she said would hurt her._

_"I have no choice, but to stripe you of your jonin title and assume that you've committed treason," stated Tsunade. That made Kakashi's eyes fully widedn as he was utterly shocked._

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you thought about it :)<strong>


	25. Chapter 24

**I am so sorry that this took so long! This chapter just did _not_ want to be written (Sorry if it sucks) and I feel really bad for taking so long... PLEASE don't hate me! It's just school and horses have sort of taken over my life as of late (Also a new, unhealthy, obsession with the Avengers...) I'll try to do better next time :)**

* * *

><p><em>"What?" Asked Kakashi, who was still shocked at what the Hokage said. Tsunade gave a big sigh and looked at Kakashi with serious eyes, but there was a hint of regret in them.<em>

"_I'll have to assume you've committed treason and take away your ninja title," stated Tsunade for a second time. Kakashi didn't say anything as he stood there with a shocked filled eye._

"_I'm sorry Kakashi, but Lark as betrayed us twice and is working with the Akatsuki. She's dangerous and I can't risk the lives of the villagers," Tsunade told Kakashi. The masked jonin nodded his head slowly and was about to agree with the Hokage, but a thought came to his mind._

"_What if I could convince Lark to come back to the village and have her agree to help us?" Questioned Kakashi. Tsunade shook her head with a sigh and gave another serious glance at Kakashi._

"_I'm sorry Kakashi, but I can't risk that. From past records of her missions, she was often a spy and was very good at making others believe what she wanted. There's the chance that she'd lie to us and attack us from the inside," explained Tsunade. Kakashi had many thoughts running through his head, that Kakashi didn't seem to be thinking straight._

"_But there are ways to convince her," stated Kakashi. Tsunade gave a questionable look and motioned for Kakashi to continue._

"_Mika and Jiro. If we can somehow get them to come back to the village or blackmail Lark with them, Lark will come back without a fuss," proposed the flustered jonin. Tsunade gave a look of disbelief, not believing what Kakashi was telling her._

"_Mika Midorikawa is dead and Jiro Chi has been rouge for seven years. I don't see how you would be able to use them, let alone find and convince Jiro," protested Tsunade. There was a pause as Kakashi debated with himself about if he should reveal that Mika and Jiro were alive as well as members of the Akatsuki. _

"He better not say anything…" I said to myself.

"_Mika is alive and both her and Jiro are part of the Akatsuki. Lark mentioned it while she was here," stated Kakashi. It was Tsunade's turn to look shocked._

"_That's not possible…" Trailed Tsunade. Kakashi didn't say anything as he let the Hokage think things over. After a few minutes, Kakashi started to believe that Tsunade was actually considering going through with his idea, but the look Tsunade gave him told him otherwise._

"_I can't risk it. So, if Lark, Mika and/or Jiro are found, they are to be eliminated. That's an order Kakashi," commanded Tsunade. Without any more arguments, Kakashi nodded and walked out of the room._

I broke off the bond and came back to the real world. Once I could see clearly in front of me I went over what I just saw.

"That bastard deserves it," I told myself. There was probably some guilt deep, and I mean deep, inside me that felt sorry for Kakashi, but really? Who in their right mind would let a rouge go without a fight? It just screams suspicion and I can't blame Tsunade for thinking that Kakashi may betray the Leaf Village. Also, I'm pissed off that Kakashi gave Tsunade information that I trusted him with, so I'm going to curse his life a bit.

"It's true then. You really are back Lark," cheered a familiar voice. Looking up, I saw Kisame and Itachi coming down the path. I didn't know if I should have been happy or irritated when I saw my new teammates. Kisame and Itachi are very good fighters and would be great partners, but… They both hate me in some way and I'm not very fond of them either.

"Yep! I'm back and here to stay!" I exclaimed as I waved at the two approaching ninja. When the two finally arrived in front of me I smiled at them. Though, instead of saying anything, they stared at me like they were waiting for something. Itachi being silent, I get, but Kisame being quiet was strange.

"What?" I questioned. Shark boy looked at me as if I was dumb, rolling his eyes and then sighing.

"Aren't you going to tell us about the Leaf?" Asked Kisame. I thought for a moment and the shrugged.

"You didn't ask," I simply said, making Kisame sweat drop.

"We usually don't have to ask Lark. You start ranting about your experiences as soon as you see someone," stated Itachi. I glared at the Uchiha for a second and then crossed my arms with a huff.

"I don't rant. Besides, you guys like knowing what I've been through," I retorted. Itachi just rolled his eyes in response.

"You do rant and it drives us nuts. No one wants to hear your stories," mumbled Kisame. He was probably hoping that I didn't hear him, but, unfortunately for him, I did.

"Excuse me? You guys don't want to listen to me?" I asked with annoyance. Kisame looked at me with a bit of regret, but he soon shrugged it off and nodded.

"Fine then. I wont tell you about my stay in the Leaf and the information I gained," I shrugged and started to walk away. This made Kisame go wide-eyed and he started call after me.

"Wait! Lark! What did you find out?" Quickly questioned the fish. I just shrugged again and refused to answer Kisame's questions that he kept throwing at me. Finally, the bluenette started complaining to Itachi as we all began to walk. Though, Itachi wasn't very helpful to Kisame since he was just plain ignoring him.

"Lark? Do you even know where we're going?" Asked the Uchiha since I was in front. Glancing over my shoulder, I gave a quick smile and tapped my temple. There was no need to verbally say anything; Itachi knew very well that I read someone's mind to find our destination.

"Come on Lark! Just tell us what you found out!" Yelled a very annoyed Kisame after about an hour of walking. We had actually made it for about 15 minutes without Kisame saying anything, but now that streak was broken…

"No. You said you didn't want to hear my stories, and it's too bad for you that this story has info we can use," I taunted. Kisame let out an irritated sigh and looked towards Itachi for some help. The weasel did nothing and just continued to ignore the blue man.

"I thought you would've been of some help Itachi. You must be dying inside to know what Lark's hiding," murmured Kisame. The Uchiha said nothing at first and just glanced at me, looking me straight in the eye.

"She's most likely lying just to annoy you Kisame. Don't let her bother you," stated Itachi after taking his eyes off me. Kisame sighed, again, and I faked hurt.

"Really Itachi? You honestly believe that I, Lark Mayumi, would lie about important information?" I gasped. With bored eyes, Itachi looked at me and gave a very simple answer.

"Yes," replied Itachi. For a second I continued my hurt act, but gave up and gave a big smile.

"You're always so good at these things Itachi!" I congratulated the weasel. Kisame looked shocked and kept looking between Itachi and I.

"You mean… That she… Doesn't have information?" Trailed Kisame. Itachi shook his head.

"She may have information, but it probably doesn't concern us in the slightest," answered Itachi. I just smiled and continued on me way, ignoring Kisame's many stares that were a mix between anger, annoyance and a bit of confusion.

* * *

><p>We've been walking for about 3 or 4 hours now and I had grown very tired. I may be a highly trained ninja and could go forever without getting tired, but it's boring just walking. Being bored isn't always the best, especially when you're me…<p>

"Are we almost there?" I whined, slumping my shoulders to show my tiredness and boredom. Both Akatsuki members looked over at me with annoyed looks. They knew that my whining was about to start.

"You know where we're going, so you figure it out," murmured Kisame. Shark boy didn't seem that awake either by the sound his voice.

"We should arrive near Iwagakure in about a day if we keep walking," replied Itachi. The Uchiha didn't sound tired at all, which didn't surprise me all that much.

"Well, we could always run some of the distance. That way we can maybe rest and do something far more interesting then plain walking," I said. Itachi was silent as he thought over what I had said, while Kisame nodded in agreement with my idea.

"I suppose some running wouldn't hurt, but we'll have to do it well before Iwagakure. Then Kisame can save his energy for his battle," agreed Itachi. I smiled in delight, as did Kisame.

"You think a little bit of running will effect me? Do you really have no respect for my skills?" Questioned the fish. Itachi didn't say anything and continued to walk, but when I started to walk something clicked inside my head.

"Wait! So Kisame is the only one fighting the four-tails? That's not fair!" I complained. Kisame smirked at my little outburst and who could just tell he was enjoying my misfortune.

"It is fair since the four-tails is Kisame's target," replied Itachi, not even looking back at me. That made me huff in anger and that just made Kisame more amused.

"Don't worry blondie. We don't want a precious little insomniac to get hurt," teased Kisame. I turned to the shark-boy with a very hard glare as he had insulted me three times. Kisame could tell that he had gotten me riled up and his smirk just grew.

"One; don't call me "blondie". Two; don't make fun of my disorder. And three; there is no way I would get hurt because if you can take him single handily, then I can too and do it faster," I growled. The blue man didn't seem fazed by my intense gaze; he was still amused by the situation. As he started to chuckle that's when I snapped.

Letting out a small growl as a warning, I took a step towards the laughing bluenette. Taking a few more steps, quicker this time, I was right in front of Kisame with my fist clenched. It seemed Kisame didn't know what I was doing till the last second. Before he could defend himself I punched right in the jaw.

"Never piss off an insomniac. Their emotions are always ready to break," I hissed as Kisame grabbed his jaw in pain. My punch had actually made fish-boy's head go back and I'm certain I heard a small crack in his neck. If Kisame weren't already blue, you'd be able to a bruise start to form.

"Well you didn't have to punch me! I was only joking!" Exclaimed Kisame as he straightened up.

"Geez… Women and their crazy hormones…" Mumbled Kisame under his breathe. I cracked my knuckles as a sign that I heard what he had said, and as a threat that I would punch him again.

Kisame raised his hands in defense signalling that he was done messing with me. Letting me hands fall to my sides, I give a successful smirk and turned around to continue walking. Though, before I could walk, I was stopped by the slight glare that Itachi had in his eyes.

"Umm…" I started, but found that I couldn't continue. If it was anyone else then I would've said something rude, but since it was Itachi… Well, lets just say that you don't want to make an Uchiha mad.

"If you two are done, I'd like to get going. Though, now we'll have to run to make good time," stated Itachi. I nodded immediately and went to go stand beside the Uchiha, but Kisame wanted to make things difficult.

"Aren't you going to do something? She fucking punched me!" Asked Kisame. I shook my head in irritation and did not look over to where I knew Itachi was glaring. Kisame's an idiot! Why make the Uchiha angrier?

"There are times where I want to punch you, but I can control my anger unlike some…" began Itachi as he sent a glance my way.

"It's done with now and I will not have you two fighting the entire way. So, lets go," said Itachi. Both Kisame and I nodded, but didn't move for a second since we were sharing similar glares.

"Now!" Growled Itachi. Kisame and I broke our gaze, nodded again, and then started to run towards our destination. Let's hope this trip goes smoothly or who knows what kind of damage we can all do to each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and hoped you liked it! :)<strong>

**Please Review!**

**Again, I'm sorry for the late update...**


	26. Chapter 25

**Here's the next chapter! I told you I was going to have it out sooner :D Also, I might have the next chapter out this weekend, so cross your fingers :P**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Itachi and I were standing near a cliff on the edge of some woods, waiting for Kisame. Well, I was sitting, but that's not the point. Anyway, we had made it to Iwagakure in about a day and a half with no fighting amongst each other. I should say amongst Kisame and I, but that doesn't matter.<p>

Right now, while Itachi and I were waiting, Kisame was trying to catch the four-tails jinjuriki, and a storm was threatening to start. A full hour had already passed and it seemed like the fish wasn't coming back anytime soon. When he gets back I'm really going to rub it in his face since he was the one saying he would be very quick.

So, to spend our time I was planning on talking to Itachi. Nothing serious, just friendly chatter, but of course this is an Uchiha I was talking to. Never had I met an Uchiha who wanted to talk about the weather. Well, there was Obito, but I didn't talk much to him since he was almost five years older then me.

After numerous tries to get the weasel to talk, I gave up and just lied down with my legs dangling over the cliff's edge. If Itachi wanted silence, I'll give him silence for the rest of the frigging day. You see, I can hold grudges for a very long time…

To past the time I was going to sleep, but thought against since I was out in the open. So, instead I reached into my pocket to see if I left anything fun to play with in them. My hand grabbed the first thing it touched and, to my luck, it was that fucking ring…

"Damn…" I muttered under my breath, hoping Itachi wouldn't hear. He must of though because he glanced over at me as soon as I said it. I just raised my eyebrow and Itachi just looked away, ignoring me once again.

It was very tempted to throw the ring off the cliff, and I nearly did, but something stopped me. This ring was the only thing I had left of my mother. Yes, I inherited her blonde hair, but I didn't actually have anything of hers. What if my mother was actually alive? Would she have made me marry Kakashi? Would I have even turned out the way I am now if I had a mother's love? Probably not, since I didn't have a mother to teach me girl stuff, my father raised me like I was his son.

Not that it matters anyway. I never met her; she was dead before I could even open my eyes. She probably never even got to hold me or see whom I took after, her or father. It's obvious I took after my father, having all the Mayumi traits, but mother doesn't know that and never would.

This will sound cold hearted, but I really don't care that she's dead. If she were alive I would have had one more person added on to my list of people I had to protect. Though, maybe she wouldn't have even made the list, my father sure didn't, but the fewer the better. The more people you love, the easier it is to lose everything…

"You're back," stated Itachi, pulling my attention from the ring to Kisame who had just arrived. The blue man had dropped an old man at his feet, which I guess was the four-tails' jinuriki.

"That's right, but bringing him back without killing him was a bother I'll tell you," complained Kisame who had started poking the old man with his Samehada. That's when the rain started to fall, making me rather upset. I was hoping to stay dry today…

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to find cover before I'm soaked to the bone," I said as I stood up a shoved the ring back into my pocket.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Lark. We should find cover before we get a chill," Kisame agreed surprisingly as he picked up the old man with his Samehada and swung it behind his back.

"We're to contact Leader-sama immediately after the capture of the jinjuriki. Then we'll be sealing the three-tails and four-tails," Itachi told us. I just rolled my eyes and hugged myself as I felt the cold rain seeping through my clothes.

"Lets make him wait, it's not like it would make much difference. Besides the sealing takes so long," grumbled Kisame as we started to walk. I just walked right past Kisame and Itachi without a glance, but Itachi took a look at the man that was hanging off of Samehada.

"It looks like he's dying. You should handle the elderly with care," mentioned the Uchiha. Kisame and I let out a small scoff in return at the weasel's words.

"You only say that because you don't know the guy. Fighting a jinuriki that uses the jutsu of the four-tails is harder then you think, but you wouldn't understand since you didn't battle the fellow directly," said Kisame. I was the only one to scoff that time and that made shark-boy look over at me.

"You're the one who wanted to go alone. If you had let us help then it would've been over a lot faster," I informed Kisame. The fish glared slightly at me and I just smirked back.

"That's correct, but I'd like to see you take him on by yourself with your pathetic shock waves," jeered Kisame. I could already guess that Itachi was rolling his eyes at us. It was obvious that a new fight was about to start.

"Pathetic? Well, let me remind you that my _pathetic_ shock waves can grill you like the fish you are," I hissed. Smirking, Kisame looked over at me and he knew that he had pushed my buttons.

"I highly doubt that. I am far more powerful then you," claimed Kisame. Clenching my fists, I got closer to the blue man.

"Yes you have more experience then me, but that doesn't make you more powerful. I could beat you anytime and anyplace," I growled. Kisame let out an angry sigh and Itachi just let out an annoyed one.

"Do you want to fight zombie?" Questioned the bluenette, calling me a very unliked nickname. I nodded and was about to throw a punch, but someone stopped my hand.

"That's enough. There is no time in fighting and you both should learn how to control your anger," scolded Itachi, not letting go of my wrist as he lowered it. Both Kisame and I looked away from the Uchiha in annoyance. When it was clear we weren't going to argue any more, Itachi started to move again with me in tow. I tried pulling my wrist free a few times, but Itachi would let go.

"_This is so you wont start another fight," _Itachi said through the bond. It seemed like he just wanted quiet.

"_I don't start them!"_ I defended, still trying to free my wrist.

"Maybe so, but you sure add fuel to the fire," accused Itachi. That's when I stopped pulling and gave up. He was, sort of, right that I did make arguments more heated. I was a bit angry at this point, so I ignored whatever my "partners" were saying from that point on. Not like their conversation included me anyways. It was probably just about the jinuriki and blah blah blah. It wasn't really until we came across a rather large tree, Itachi sitting down and letting go of me, that I started to pay attention to my surroundings. As I thought, Kisame and Itachi were talking about jinuriki.

"Shouldn't we be getting together with the others now?" I asked, cutting off whatever Kisame was saying. Itachi looked up at me and gave a small nod. Kisame sighed and muttered something, that I didn't bother to hear, and started to tie up the four-tails' host.

* * *

><p>We were the last ones to arrive at our little circle of hologram Akatsuki members. Looking around the circle, I only counted seven people excluding myself. My eyes widen slightly when I noticed it was Mika and Jiro who were missing. Konan wasn't there either, but I could care less about her.<p>

"You're late," stated Leader. I just shrugged and started to share looks with Deidara, silently asking where my two friends were. The blond mouthed something, but I couldn't understand it. So, instead I went the easy route and read the bomber's mind.

I let out a small sigh when I read that Jiro and Mika were safe. They were just sitting around talking; well Mika was talking while Jiro pretended to listen. You see, Mika and Jiro are even lesser members of the Akutsuki then I was, so they didn't see the point in coming to meetings.

"I have some urgent information that I need to tell you… Orochimaru has been killed," informed Leader. By the sound of his voice, this was supposed to be "sad" news, but I wasn't upset in the slightest. I was very happy that the snake was finally killed and I hoped it was very painful for him.

"It's been ten years since he left the Akatsuki. At least we've been spared the task of killing him ourselves. Who cares if he's dead? I wanted him gone as much as I wanted the zombie pair eliminated," laughed Kisame. I silently laughed with him, not wanting to get in trouble for disrespecting the dead.

"Hidan and Kakuzu were our comrades. Don't say such thinks," snapped Leader. Knew he was going to get mad…

"Sorry… Who were the ones who did them in anyway?" Asked Kisame, talking about the zombie brothers. At that question I kept quiet, not showing any interest because I already knew who killed them.

"It was the hidden Leaf. Kakashi and the Nine-tails jinjuriki's team," answered both White and Black Zetsu.

"Yes, they're extremely strong that team. No wonder Deidara and Lark got pumbled by them," chuckled Tobi. Both Deidara and I snapped our heads towards the masked kid in anger.

"Tobi!" Deidara and I yelled. We were both looking at Tobi with irritation and anger. Neither one of use wanted to be reminded of that fight. Technically I didn't even get beaten, it just so happened I passed out while Deidara was fighting.

"Keep running your mouth and you'll push me to my limit! Un!" Exclaimed the blond bomber. Tobi raised his hands in defence and tried to calm the blond down, but he wasn't doing a very good job. The masked Akatsuki member seemed to like commenting on Dei's short fuse.

"That's enough Deidara. You're only proving him right," scolded Leader. Deidara responded with a scoff and turned back to face Leader. I turned as well, but unlike Deidara, my fuse can be controlled… To some extent…

"Tobi, you do talk too much. Show some respect," Leader told Tobi who happily apologized.

"And we're supposed to catch the remaining jinjuriki with those two?" Commented Kisame, making Leader sigh in reply.

"Killing Orochimaru would take someone with very special skills. So, who did it?" Asked fish-boy, going back to the Orochimaru topic.

"Sasuke Uchiha," stated Leader. There was a small silence for a second as everyone glanced over at Itachi who stood there expressionless. I didn't expect there to be any emotion anyway. Itachi was the type to keep feelings to himself, especially if it involved his little brother. So, I sighed and rolled my eyes at the Uchiha's expression, earning a look from everyone.

"You don't seemed convinced Lark," observed Leader. Turning my attention back to Leader, I gave a small shrug.

"I'm convinced, but anyone of us could have taken that snake. Even a few Leaf ninja's could've have killed him. So, it's no surprise that an Uchiha, who was trained by a sannin and the Copy Ninja, would be able to take on a sick old man," I explained. It was the honest truth and I don't care about the youngest Uchiha. The kid is just a kid, who's blinded by revenge. He poses no threat to me what so ever, but then I could be being a little cocky…

"Still, he is a force to be reckoned with," mentioned Leader.

"Yes, it seems that he is putting together his own team," informed Zetsu. I rolled my eyes again and just waved the topic off.

"Well, I'm not going to sweat over him. I'm here to help capture the tailed beasts, not to sort out some kid's family issues," I sneered. There was a small tingling feeling in the back of my head and I knew it was Itachi letting me know that he wasn't appreciating my input.

"Anyway, if we're just going to talk about Sasuke and his merry men for the rest of this, then I'm out. See ya!" I waved goodbye and opened my eyes to see Kisame and Itachi sitting with their eyes close. Guess they didn't follow me… Oh well!

That was a useless meeting and I already knew how it was going to end. They would've talked about Sasuke some more and then tell Itachi, Kisame and I to get our butts to where ever the sealing statue was with the four-tails. Not a very necessary meeting if I may say.

Not even 5 minutes later, Itachi and Kisame were standing up. Neither of one them seemed to acknowledge me when the got up and shared a few words. Though, Kisame did flash me a smirk, but Itachi was just his normal, silent self. Looks like I'm going to be the talkative one on this trip.

* * *

><p>We arrived at a large cave where I wasn't even sure where it was located. I was just playing follow the leader and ended up in a cave. In the cave we saw a very large three-tails lying motionless on the ground. Seems Deidara's team really gave it a beating.<p>

"You're here," stated Leader from behind us, making me jump slightly. Though, my little scare was ignored as my partners turned to the hologram behind us. After a second, Leader did some summoning jutsu that made the sealing statue emerge from the ground. Once the statue was fully emerged, every member was called to assemble. I wasn't surprised when Mika or Jiro appeared on the statue's fingers. Though, I wasn't certain of my job.

"Umm… I'm I sitting this one out or am I sealing?" I asked before the sealing began. There was a moment of thinking, but Leader was nodding soon enough.

"I'm sure you're very capable of sealing, so you may help," answered Leader. I gave a quick nod and jumped up onto the finger beside Itachi. This will be fun since I've never done a sealing before. Though, I knew it was going to be long… Luckily I don't sleep!

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! I love to hear what you guys have to say :)<strong>


	27. Chapter 26

**Here's the next chapter! I seem to be on roll right now. Two chapters in one weekend :D Maybe the next will be out tonight... Let's hope!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>After the very long sealing of both the Three-tails and Four-tails, I was freaking exhausted! Now I understand why the other Akatsuki members complain so much. I feel like I could just fall asleep at any second. Sleep actually sounds like a good idea right now since I have slept in forever.<p>

Anyway, once we were done with the sealing, we took a moment to think about our next action. By "we" I actually mean Deidara deciding what he's going to do and then run off with no plan. In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if he was killed off next. Of course I'd be upset, probably have to comfort Jiro, but then make fun of Deidara for getting himself killed. Aren't I a lovely person?

So, right now Kisame, Itachi and I are just walking somewhere. I have no clue where we're going and it's sort of ticking me off since I want to sleep. Though, before I could protest, Itachi stopped and sat down on top of a large rock that we were passing.

"We'll rest for a bit," instructed Itachi. Both Kisame and I nodded as I mentally jumped for joy. I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to stand for.

"Do you have a plan for what we're going to do next?" Kisame asked Itachi as we sat down, me beside Itachi and Kisame across from us. Itachi was silent as he thought things through, and I just hoped he decided to go after the Nine-tails.

"It's obvious that we're going after the Nine-tails. We have nothing to gain from going after Sasuke," I yawned, stretching my arms over my head. I knew it wasn't my choice, but it never hurt anyone to put my opinion in.

"No, I'm going to see Sasuke," stated Itachi. I looked over at the Uchiha with wide eyes and Kisame gave a somewhat annoyed look.

"What?! Are you shitting me? Why would we go after your brother?" I questioned, not pleased at all with the weasel's decision. Itachi looked at me straight in the eyes making me realize he was dead serious.

"You can't go after your brother! He wants you dead and you losing won't help the Akatsuki's numbers in anyway," I exclaimed. The Uchiha just sighed and looked away from me.

"That's right. Sasuke's my brother and I think it's time we settled things between us," replied Itachi. I scoffed in annoyance, not liking this choice at all.

"I know very well that if you and Sasuke fight, you'll let him win. That means you'll die," I reminded Itachi because he didn't seem to be thinking about his death.

"Why do you care so much Lark? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was pretty sure you hated Itachi," recalled Kisame. I glared at the fish, before looking back at Itachi. I wasn't going to answer, but Itachi thought he should.

"She only cares because if I die, she's driven farther into insanity," answered Itachi. I crossed my arms in protest, but I couldn't hide the truth. Itachi was right about my caring about his death, but for reason that wasn't entirely correct.

"Farther into insanity? I'm pretty sure she's as far as you can get," laughed Kisame, but he stopped when he realized I wasn't aiming a punch at him.

"It's true? Wow Lark, you must have some deep feelings for Itachi then. Never thought you liked younger men," teased Kisame. That time I threw a kunai at his face, but luckily for him, I was actually aiming for a tree behind him and the kunai barely grazed him.

"Shut it fish boy! That's not the reason," I snapped. There was no way I had romantic feelings for the Uchiha. It was possible I liked him as a friend, but nothing more.

"Then explain to me the reason," insisted Kisame. Sighing, I looked over at Itachi who had been very silent during Kisame and mine's little spat. Though, the Uchiha didn't look over at me and waited for me to explain things to Kisame.

"Fine. The reason I'd be driven into insanity is because of my Kekkei Genkai. I know you're aware of what I'm capable of doing with my Kokoro no ressun, but there's another thing it can do," I started. For once Kisame looked interested in what I was saying.

"I am able to create mind bonds with people. These means I can hack into their minds and either have a conversation or just look through their thoughts. I can do this anytime, anyplace, we could even be in different areas. Though there is a limit on how many bonds I can make in my lifetime. I can only make five bonds and I have already made my five," I continued. Itachi wasn't even looking at me at this point, as I'm sure he knew were this was going.

"Out of these five bonds, one person has already died. This doesn't mean I can make a new bond. Once a bond is filled and cut, it's done. Since one person has already died, I can explain the feeling very well. When a person you have a bond with dies, the bond is cut and it's the most painful thing I have ever felt," I said. Again, I looked over at Itachi who still wasn't looking at me.

"You know when you cut a very tight wire and it flings back? Well, that's what it would be like if you could see it. Though, instead of a wire being cut, it feels like a piece of my brain being cut out of my head. Not a very nice feeling. Anyway, when the bond breaks all the thoughts and memories with that person, come rushing into your head all at once. This causes a very painful headache that can pass out," I finished. Kisame looked at me with some confusion as he tried to process all the information I just gave him.

"Ok, so it hurts, but how do you go insane?" Asked Kisame. I sighed and began another explanation.

"Since they're _minds bonds_, every time one's cut, a piece of my mind goes. If all five bonds are gone before I die, I'll lose my mind. I'm very fond of my mind, so I'd like to keep it," I explained. I always hated explaining what my Kekkei Genkai did, so I just didn't bother telling people. Only a handful of people know about the mind bonds, and most of those people are ones I have a bond with.

"Wow… Guess you have every reason to be a bit upset," replied Kisame. That was his reaction? Really? I mean Itachi had a bigger reaction then shark boy did, and it's Itachi we're talking about!

"Yeah… So, now you know and can help me change Itachi's mind," I said. Though, to my disappointment, Kisame shook his head.

"Sorry, but there's no changing Itachi's mind," denied Kisame. I gave a sigh in annoyance and turned back to Itachi.

"Come on! This is a stupid idea! If you have family problems, you should have figured them out long ago. We're the Akatsuki, not a family counselor!" I shouted. This topic was getting on my nerves and I just wanted Itachi to agree with me.

"That's enough Lark!" Snapped Itachi, his Sharingan spinning in anger. My eyes widened in fear and I shut my mouth instantly as I slowly backed away from the Uchiha. Itachi stood up and walked away from our little group, Kisame and I both knew it wouldn't be wise to follow.

"You must really have a talent for pissing people off, Lark. I've never seen Itachi that mad," grumbled Kisame. I stayed silent as I watched Itachi walk away. This isn't good… I angry Itachi isn't a pleasant one and I was going to have to apologize…

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please review :)<strong>

**Next chapter there will be a one-on-one talk between Itachi and Lark. Wonder what'll happen...**

**Also, if you guys think there should be any LarkxItachi (just a little bit), just tell me your thoughts and I may consider it :P**

**Bye Bye!**


	28. Chapter 27

**I'm SOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! This took a lot longer to get out then I thought T.T I don't even know why... Maybe it was school, or maybe my horses, or maybe I'm just lazy -.- **

**I hope you guys don't hate me... A good thing is that the good parts are coming up real soon and my chapters will be longer :D**

**Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!**

**Enjoy!**

**Warning: Itachi may seem OOC, but it's for a good reason! (I think...)**

* * *

><p>I waited about half an hour before going after Itachi. Mostly the reason was because Kisame wouldn't shut up and kept telling me that Itachi was going to kill me. I'll admit that Itachi won't be at all happy with me, but I highly doubt he'd kill me.<p>

So, I left Kisame to talk to himself as I went to go find Itachi, which wasn't that hard actually. I found the Uchiha sitting on the edge of the cliff I was sitting on while we were waiting for Kisame.

"Nice view, isn't it?" I said to Itachi as I came up behind him. There was no response from the Uchiha, so he was either ignoring me or had gone deaf.

"You know, if you ignore me, I'm just going to more irritating by the minute," I told Itachi who then quickly glance at me over his shoulder.

"What do you want Mayumi?" Asked Itachi. I looked at the raven with slightly widened eyes and my mouth open just a bit in a silent, surprised, gasp.

He used my last name. The last time someone called me by my last name was… Umm… Well, I can't actually remember the last time. It's very uncommon for people to call me Mayumi once they know my first name. Mostly because I glare at everyone who uses my surname since that was what people called my father. I don't even like my last name that much anyway…

"Really? You're going back to last names? Well, two can play at that game, _Uchiha_," I sneered, hoping Itachi didn't catch that I was slightly taken back by the use of my last name.

Itachi didn't say anything, so I took it as that he didn't care what I called him. That didn't surprise me since he's called 'Uchiha' a lot.

"Ok, I know you're mad at me, but why? You have to realize that my idea of going after the Nine-tails seems a bit more important as it is _your_ job to capture him. Your brother can wait until after you've finished your work," I explained. Still the Uchiha did nothing to let me know he was listening. Though, I knew he was listening because Itachi wasn't the one to ignore someone like they were 5 years old.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me 'no', then we're going to go find the Nine-tails. Sasuke can wait, now come on," I said after a few moments of nothing. As I was turning away, I heard Itachi release a frustrated breath.

"You don't get it, do you?" Sighed Itachi. I turned back around to the Uchiha, only to see the back of his head.

"Get what? From what I see, the only thing to get is the Nine-tails. So are you coming or what?" I asked, slightly irritated that the Uchiha was wasting time. This time, Itachi looked at me before he spoke. However, instead of meeting his cold, black eyes, I was met with angry red ones.

I froze where I stood and quickly looked away from the eyes that plainly showed the Uchiha's prized Sharingan. My gaze settled on his lips as I tried to make it seem as if I was just merely taking a precaution. Though, the Uchiha knew the real reason as to why I, someone who stares her opponents right in the eye, would not look into those red eyes.

"You don't get that Sasuke is my brother. I will do what is right for him because he is my family. Ther-,"

"_You_ will do what's right for him because he's your family? Honestly, do expect me to believe that! You have done nothing but do that boy wrong!" I exclaimed, cutting the Uchiha off in the process. Probably not that smartest thing to do when you have the Sharingan pointed right at you, but my anger sometimes overrides my fear.

"Also, do not accuse me of not understanding anything about family. I may not be big on family, but that doesn't mean I don't get it. It would be you who doesn't understand it! You're the one that killed your family, leaving your _brother_ all alone. That is _not _something you do to family, and even I know that," I growled.

"If only you knew…" Mumbled Itachi. Still not looking into his eyes, I tried my best to glare at Itachi. There was no way I would risk looking into his eyes. Even if he can do his mind tricks without eye contact, the worst part of the whole ordeal is the memory of the Sharingan that's burned into your mind for the rest of your life.

"What don't I know? You seem to want to waste our time trying to get your way. So, why don't you explain to me why it is so important that we find your brother," I offered. There was a hint of curiousity within me, but in all honesty I had no use for the Uchiha's explanation. This argument was going to end with a yelling match, which would be unlikely since Itachi doesn't yell, or with one of us leaving in pain, and you can guess whom that one will be…

"I'm not going to waste time explaining something you will not understand," huffed Itachi. I let out an offended gasp as I saw the Uchiha's lips turn away from view, meaning that he must have turned around. So, I looked back up to see the back of the Uchiha's head… Again…

"Are you trying to insult me? Let me remind you that I can fully analyze any kind of situation and out smart some of the best ninja's in this world, and you think I won't be able to understand your family issues? Don't make me laugh!" I shouted. Itachi gave a scoff/laugh, which left me staring at the back of his head in confusion.

"You can analyze _any_ situation? Then why is it so hard for you to figure out that someone has feelings for you?" Itachi asked, more like stated, as he turned to face me again, only this time with no activated Sharingan.

"W-what?" I stuttered sort surprised by Itachi's question. Does he know about Kakashi? No, he couldn't know. I haven't told a soul! Well, besides Jiro and Mika… But in my defense, I didn't technically tell them! Jiro read the letter and then blabbered to Mika about it. Ok, I'm getting off topic…

"Not such a great ninja now, are you?" Taunted Itachi. I gave my head a quick shake, making my hair fall off my shoulder, and glared at the Uchiha.

"Don't change the subject! We're talking about you, not me!" I snapped. The Uchiha rolled his eyes before looking me straight in the eyes.

"We both know who's going to win this little argument. So, please don't push it or I may have to-," started Itachi.

"Have to use your Sharingan on me? You wouldn't _dare_. I know you hate using that thing on me and that you never want to see me in that kind of pain," I said, cutting the Uchiha off. He said nothing in return, so I took that as a chance to keep talking.

"I know you'll most likely get your way, but that's not going to stop me from trying. Use your Sharingan if you want, but you will only be hurting me if you did and I know you don't want that," I told Itachi. We stared at each other for a long moment, I was glaring while Itachi seemed neutral like always.

As the silence continued, I broke into Itachi's mind to see what he was thinking. There were certain parts of the Uchiha's mind that stood out, as it was very likely that he was looking through those parts at this exact moment, or had been looking through them. Though, some, if not most, were strongly blocked and I had a feeling that it may not be a good idea if I broke the barriers. However, there was one section of his thoughts that weren't blocked and they seemed to be very loud at that very moment.

Looking through the thoughts, I discovered that they were Itachi's thoughts on me. More specifically our first couple of in counters were what he was strongly thinking about. So, I decided to find out what the Uchiha first thoughts of me were.

* * *

><p>(Changes to third person as Lark's looking through Itachi's eyes)<p>

_'She looks terrified…' Thought Itachi was he laid eyes on the teal streaked blonde in front of him. Her eyes, well her left one that is since her right one was completely covered with her bangs, were a bright ice blue that could possibly been seen from miles away. It looked as if her eyes were naturally narrow, but right now they seemed wider then they should be._

"_This is Lark Mayumi. She's from the Leaf as well and will be used as a spy. As you both have very useful kekkei genkais, I suspect that you two may be working together from time to time. So, I'll let you two get to know each other for awhile," explained Pain, who had been standing beside the girl, before he walked out of the room._

'_Mayumi…That name sounds very familiar.' Itachi just stared at the girl and she stayed silent as she tried to avoid his eyes. Looking more closely at the girl, Itachi saw bruises on her neck that looked like she had had some sort of metal collar on not long ago. He suspected that if he looked anywhere else on her body that her would find more bruises. 'What had they done to the poor girl?'_

"_Are you going to answer me or not?" Asked Lark, causing the Uchiha to quickly look back at her eye._

"_I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Replied Itachi; a bit embarrassed that he hadn't been listening. _

"_How old are you? You don't look old enough to be betraying your village," wondered Lark. Itachi was silent for a moment as he recalled the memories of slaughtering his clan three nights ago._

"_I'm thirteen," Itachi answered. The girl gave a shocked look before speaking in return._

"_Thirteen? Wow, they are sure making kids grow up fast," mumbled the girl. Itachi was about to ask for the girl's age, but she spoke first._

"_I'm nineteen, in case you're wondering. I was sixteen when I left the village," Lark said, answering the Uchiha's unasked question. For some reason Itachi was slightly shocked by the girl's age of betrayal. Sixteen-year-old kunoichi are usually more focused on boys then betraying their village. Then again, thirteen-year-old boys aren't usually killing their clan…_

_The silence had returned and Lark still wouldn't look the Uchiha in the eyes. At the thought of his eyes, he figured that maybe he should find out some things about the girl's kekkei genkai._

"_What is your kekkei genkai? I don't seem to recall the Mayumi clan very well," Itachi wondered. Lark was silent for a second, but answered the Uchiha soon enough._

"_I don't blame you for not knowing the Mayumi clan. The Uchiha clan hates us and as far as I know, I'm the last Mayumi. Though, you may have heard of my father, Aoi Mayumi," said Lark. Itachi thought for a second and the name did sound somewhat familiar. Also, if he remembered correctly, there was an occasion where he over heard his father talking to other Uchihas about some Mayumi person who he called a bastard. _

"_Well, about my kekkei genkai. It's called Kokoro no ressun, and it allows me to read minds. Though, that's all I'm telling you," Lark told Itachi. She lifted her bangs from her right eye for a moment, giving the Uchiha a glance at the unique looking eye. Her right eye was similar to her left one except for the fact that there was a black swirl around the entire iris, only letting some of the ice blue colouring come through. _

_The observation was cut short however as Lark dropped her bangs faster then she had picked them up._

"_There's no need to tell me about your Sharingan. I'm very familiar with it," stated Lark, except she seemed to waver a bit while speaking, like bad memories had been brought up._

"_Is something the matter?" Itachi asked, slightly concerned for the girl. She shook her head and gave Itachi a small, nervous smile in response._

"_Are you sure? You seemed scared of something," Itachi mentioned. He wasn't sure why, but he honestly wanted to know why this girl was so scared._

"_Umm…" started Lark as she glanced around the room as if looking for someone._

"_It's your eyes." Whispered Lark after a few seconds. Itachi wasn't sure if he had heard her right and had asked her to repeat, only to realize that he hadn't miss heard._

"_My eyes? What about them?" Wondered Itachi. He knew that the Uchiha's didn't have the kindest looking eyes, but neither did this girl and you think if she was a ninja she wouldn't be scared of someone's eyes._

"_Your Sharingan's activated, and they sort of bring up bad memories," briefly explained Lark. Itachi had a sudden moment of realization and quickly deactivate his Sharingan. The moment he did, Lark's eye seemed to return to a more natural look. He was right when he assumed that they were narrow, but it looked as if she was glaring at him now._

"_Sorry about that, I didn't-," started Itachi, only to be cut off by Lark._

"_That's fine. You didn't know and I wouldn't have told you if you hadn't had brought it up," smiled Lark. _

_Itachi thought that Lark seemed like a genuinely nice girl, someone he could most likely tolerate. Though, there was some sort of hatred mixed with some fear in her eyes. What ever had caused this girl to hate and fear that much it must have been brutal, and Itachi hoped to never see her relive any of that._

* * *

><p>I came back to the present, not surprised to see that Itachi still hadn't done anything. I was correct in saying that Itachi didn't want to see me hurt. It seemed out of character for him, but in a way it was kind of sweet.<p>

"You read my thoughts, didn't you?" Asked Itachi, well he stated that instead of asking. I nodded, a glare still on my face.

"You know I wont hurt you," Itachi told me.

"I know, but if you die you'll be hurting me," I said. There was a moment where I laughed in my head at the fact that we went from talking about family to about me being hurt. Quiet a subject change, huh?

"Why would that be?" Asked Itachi. I shrugged, not really knowing myself actually. Maybe I was just saying it in hope that I would get my way and we'd go after the nine-tails. Though, I don't think that's the real reason.

"There's got to be some reason Lark. I know you're not just saying that to win the argument," said Itachi, like he had been reading my mind.

"Well, why do you not want to see me hurt?" I asked in return. It is sort of odd that an Uchiha, who doesn't care much for others, was showing some sort of caring attitude to some woman who drives him nuts.

"Guess you sort of grew on me," replied Itachi. I gave the Uchiha a smirk and he returned it with one of his own.

"Same," I simply stated.

"Though, I don't like you in a romantic kind of way!" I quickly added as I realized that what we said sounded like a love confession. Even though Itachi is a good-looking man, I really don't see him that way.

"That's not what I meant. You're more like a very good friend that I'd hate to lose," informed Itachi. I gave a mental sigh of relief. It would have been awkward if he did have feelings for me. Wait… Is he lust saying that so I don't feel bad?

I quickly dove into his mind to figure out an answer, but was stopped.

"_You're like a little sister to me, Lark. Not a girlfriend,"_ laughed Itachi through the bond. I blushed slightly in embarrassment, but that quickly went away after a quick thought.

"Little sister? How can I be your little sister if I'm three years older then you!?" I exclaimed, only making Itachi smirk in amusement.

"I thought most women like being acknowledged as young," wondered Itachi. I grumbled to myself, as I knew he was right.

"Yeah… But… Oh, never mind." I sighed, not really caring anymore.

* * *

><p>After a while, Itachi and I had sat down and there was silence between us, but it wasn't filled with anger this time. Instead it was a good silence that we both enjoyed.<p>

"We're going after your brother aren't we?" I asked Itachi, already knowing what the answer was going to be.

"Yes and I think you know what the outcome is going to be," answered Itachi. I sighed in defeat, not really wanting to argue anymore since it was an already lost battle.

"Yeah… It's going to result in me having a panic attack, losing a part of my sanity and then dragging your sorry dead ass off the battle field," I sighed. This caused Itachi to give a slight chuckle, which made me give him a confused and shocked look.

"You have a sense of humour?!" I exclaimed in a mocked tone. This only caused the Uchiha to laugh again and nod in respond.

"Never said I didn't," defended Itachi.

"Yeah, but you never laugh at any of my attempts at humour," I accused the Uchiha. It was true, Itachi never laughed and it led me to believe that he was born without any humour what so ever.

Itachi just shrugged and stopped laughing, but kept a small smile on his face.

"How's your engagement to Kakashi going?" Asked Itachi out of the blue. I looked over at the Uchiha as if he had just told me he had killed puppy.

"W-what are y-you t-talking about?" I stuttered, a bit flustered by the sudden change in topic.

"I'm talking about that ring that you have in your pocket. I know it has to be from Kakashi because he's the only one you've had any romantic feelings for," said Itachi. My hand instantly went to my pocket, which held the ring.

"How do you know that!?" I shrieked a bit to quickly because after a moment thought; I realized what Itachi had actually said.

"I mean… I have no romantic feelings for Kakashi…" I corrected. Itachi shook his head at me, not believing in what I said.

"The only reason I know is because I saw you having a mental battle with yourself when you were about to throw the ring over the cliff. Also, I know he's the only one you have romantic feelings for because you hate everyone else," explained Itachi.

"Not true! I don't hate Jiro, Mika or you!" I defended myself. It didn't seem to work though, since Itachi was just shaking his head.

"True, but Jiro's gay, Mika's your best friend and like your sister, and youo said so yourself that you don't like me that way. Kakashi's the only person that you hate, but can still tolerate at the same time. Proving that you like him in some way." Stated Itachi. I sulked, as I knew Itachi was right, but I hated to admit it to myself.

"Have you been talking to Kiki?" I asked jokingly as I remembered the little bat telling me about the sexual tension between Kakashi and I.

"No. Why?" Asked Itachi, slightly confused by my question. He must of missed joking tone in it.

"Oh, nothing," I sighed. Great, first my bat basically tells me that Kakashi and I should get it on, then Mika and Jiro think that I should except the engagement, and now Itachi believes I have romantic feeling for Kakashi just because I couldn't make myself get rid of the bloody ring. I hate my life sometimes…

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! Please tell me what you think :)<strong>

**I promise to have the next chapter up soon! There will be no 2 month wait (I hope) I'm on my holiday break, so I have a lot more free time :)**


	29. Chapter 28

"What took you guys so long?" Asked Kisame when Itachi and I came back to where we left him.

"Just talking and trying to figure out our next plan of action," I answered while giving a shrug. Kisame let out a small laugh that sound somewhat like he was relieved or something.

"That's good. I was starting to think that Itachi was actually killing you," chuckled the fish man. I glared and stopped walking once that was said.

"It didn't occur to you to come and help me if I was being killed?" I question with I slight growl in my tone. Kisame shrugged and shook his head in reply, only making me glare harder.

"Nah. If Itachi were killing you, I would try my best to stay out of his way. Besides, things would be much quieter if you were gone," answered Kisame and you can guess that I wasn't happy with that answer. Gasping in an angry/hurt way, I crossed my arms and glared daggers at the blue man.

"Well aren't you helpful… You'd miss me if I died," I mumbled, still keeping my angry gaze on Kisame.

"I would only miss you because if you died then Itachi will have to put all his anger on me," replied Kisame.

"Glad I mean so much to you," I muttered and then turned away. Itachi didn't say anything, but he must be shaking his head right now. He must have finally given up with the bickering.

After Itachi explained to Kisame what was going to happen, I refused to speak to fish man, we were on our way to wherever Itachi was leading us.

"Do you even know where Sasuke is? I refuse to go on a wild goose chase," I asked as we walked. If we had no idea were we were going, then I might as well just go and find Mika and Jiro. At least I'd have a better chance at finding them.

"I have a feeling that he wont be that far away, but until we actually get a sense of where he is, we'll just keep going," explained Itachi.

"So you have no plan," I stated. Itachi shook his head in reply.

"I have a plan. It's just not the time to put it into affect," replied Itachi. Sighing, I followed behind the Uchiha as Kisame followed behind me.

"Don't start whining about it Lark. If you want it to go faster, do something useful," said Kisame. I stopped walking and looked behind me with arms crossed.

"And what do you suggest I do?" I questioned. Kisame shrugged and continued on walking, making me follow as I didn't want to be left behind.

"I don't know. How about you read some minds to find Sasuke," suggested Kisame. I rolled my eyes and silently scoffed at Kisame's idea.

"Whose mind am I suppose to read? Kakashi is the only one I have a bond with that serves us any use right now. However, he doesn't know where Sasuke is, and please don't suggest I try and read Sasuke's mind," I said. Kisame just growled at my response.

"Sorry for trying to help," muttered Kisame. I decided not to respond to that, as it would only start another fight between us. So, instead, I took Kisame's idea, but I didn't use it for our advantage. I was bored, so Jiro seemed like an interesting subject to talk to.

"_Hey Jiro!"_ I shouted, hoping it would cause the red head to jump.

"_Lark! Don't do that!"_ Exclaimed Jiro in surprise. I giggled to myself as I pictured Jiro jumping out of shock.

"_Oops! Did I scare you Jiro?"_ I asked innocently. I could picture Jiro rolling his eyes at me right now.

"_I little bit actually… Anyway, what do you want?"_ Asked Jiro.

"_Do I have to want something in order to talk to you?"_ I replied.

"_You? Yes."_ Answered Jiro, making me pout slightly.

"_Well, for your information, I really just want some friendly chatter,"_ I claimed.

"_Really? So, I'm guessing you guys aren't doing anything," _said Jiro.

"_Not true. We're walking aimlessly around the woods," _I defended.

"_Oh, yes. That seems very important," _laughed Jiro.

"_Yes, it's very difficult and necessary for our mission,"_ I joked, laughing along with Jiro.

"_What is your mission exactly?"_ Asked Jiro. I shrugged my shoulders, even though Jiro couldn't see the action.

"_In all honestly, I'm not sure. We're supposed to be looking for Itachi's little brother, Sasuke, but I wanted to go looking for the nine-tails," _I answered.

"_You lost the battle I see,"_ guessed Jiro.

"_Yeah… Now enough about me. How are you guys doing?"_ I questioned. They must be doing the something more interesting then us.

"_About the same thing you guys are doing, but if Mika and Tobi continue with what they're doing, Deidara and I may have some beating up to do,"_ sighed Jiro.

"_They're finally getting on your nerves?"_ I chuckled.

"_You have no idea…" _Grumbled Jiro.

"_Oh, I think I do. Remember, I've known Mika since we were 4 years old. If you think she's bad now, imagine a hyper 4 year old running around,"_ I said.

"_I don't know how you survived," _wondered Jiro.

"_Trust me. You'll learn,"_ I assured the red head.

"_Let's hope… Have you thought about that ring Kakashi sent you?"_ Asked Jiro, taking me off guard. Did he have to bring that up?

"_N-no… W-well, kind of. I just don't think it's that important,"_ I stuttered. Really? I thought this topic was long done with.

"_Not important? Lark, the man confessed his undying love for you, and you think it's not that important?!"_ Exclaimed Jiro. I winced slightly at the volume of Jiro's voice. He wasn't yelling that loudly, but it was one of those disappointed yells.

"_He's on the enemy's side. You can't expect me to return the gesture," _I replied.

"_Lark, you do realize that he risked everything by letting you go and he already knew before hand that you were going to leave. If I ever had a guy do that for me then I'd be running into his arms," _Jiro pointed out.

"_Then you can have him because I don't want him," _I stated.

"_Don't lie to yourself. I know very well that you do, in some way, love him. At least talk to the guy,"_ suggested Jiro.

"_Talk to him? That seems like a great idea! I'll just walk right into the Leaf Village and have a nice chat with him. I'm sure that wont get me killed," _I said sarcastically.

"_I didn't mean like that… I mean, if you see him, which you probably will, either telling how you feel or give the ring back. Returning the ring will send him the message," _explained Jiro. I lowered my gaze to look at the ground as I walked.

"_It was my mother's ring though…"_ I mumbled.

"_You never seemed to care about your mother. So, why would it bother you?" _Asked Jiro. I have to say that sounded a bit harsh… It's not like I don't give a rat's ass about my mother. I just never got to meet her, so I don't know if I'd like her or not.

"_I don't know… It's just… Oh, never mind. You're right, I'll give the ring back,"_ I answered.

"_Good. Now I have to go. I'm getting weird looks from Deidara," _said Jiro.

"_Are they the 'I want to jump you' looks or 'what the hell are you doing' looks? I'm rooting for the 'I want to jump you'," _I teased.

"_The 'what the hell are you doing' looks," _replied Jiro.

"_Are you sure? You might be reading them wrong," _I questioned.

"_Bye Lark,"_ Jiro slightly growled as he stopped the bond. I giggled to myself as I pictured Jiro blushing at my teasing.

"What's so funny?" Asked Kisame who had glanced back at me.

"Oh, nothing. Just having a conversation," I answered. Kisame just shrugged and continued on.

Awhile later, we had stopped for a rest. Still nothing had happened and there was no sign of Sasuke anywhere. If only Itachi had listened to me then we would already have the nine-tails by now. I would have voiced my opinion, but I already tried that earlier and almost got a punch in the face as I was getting very irritating.

The silence wasn't too bad, as I didn't have to hear shark boy speak, but it does get boring. I was very tempted to start a fight with Kisame, but I knew that would just end with Itachi getting mad. The Uchiha has already been mad at me once today, I don't need him angry with me again.

"Do we actually have a destination or we just going to walk around till we bump into Sasuke?" I asked. Not knowing where I was going was a big pet peeve of mine. Walking around, not knowing where you're going to end up just annoyed me for some reason. That annoyance was increased because I have to wonder around with weasel and shark boy.

"Yes, we're heading towards the Uchiha Hideout," answered Itachi.

"May I ask how Sasuke is going to find us there? I mean it is a hideout, not the most obvious place. Or maybe it is since you guys are Uchihas…" I questioned, actually trying to raise a good question, but ruined the seriousness by letting my thoughts take over.

"Leave that to me. The only thing I need you to worry about is making sure we aren't interrupted," replied Itachi. I nodded in response and went back to my own thoughts. I was a bit curious as to who would get in our way, but let the question go as I had a pretty good guess of who I was meant to watch. It was either the rest of Sasuke's team, if he had any that I'd assume he would, or Leaf shinobi. Those Leaf shinobi always seem to get in our way.

"Maybe we should pick up the pace a little. Get this thing done quicker and then get on with other matters," said Kisame. I rolled my eyes at the blue man, not because it was a horrible idea, but because it was Kisame speaking and I was getting used to not hearing his voice.

"We're moving at a fine pace, and what's the rush to finish? What do you have to do anyway?" I wondered, not actually caring as to what Kisame did with his time.

"Nothing that concerns you," stated Kisame. Not really the answer I wanted, but one I was expecting. So, I just shrugged as we continued on our way to where ever this hideout was.

Since I technically had a job, I thought it be good idea to at least see if the Leaf were doing anything about the Sasuke matter. I knew just the person that would have all the info on Sasuke, and it just so happened that I have bond with him. Oh my…This may be painful. That bond hasn't been touched in years.

"_Hey Kakashi!" _I yelled, hoping the loudness will get through to the masked ninja.

There was no reply, which was weird since I was sure the bond was connected.

_"Hello? Anyone there? If you're ignoring me Kakashi I will-,"_

_"Lark? Is that you?"_ Cut off Kakashi. Good, he heard me. Now the task of having a non-awkward conversation.

"_Hi Kakashi! How are you?" _I greeted, trying to make this sound like an everyday occurrence.

"_What do you want?"_ Asked Kakashi rather coldly… Guess this isn't going to be a regular friendly conversation.

"_Skipping formalities? Rather rude don't you think?"_ I questioned the masked ninja.

_"Don't act sweet and friendly, Lark. What do you want?"_ Repeated Kakashi. Mission of having a non-awkward conversation: Fail.

"_Fine, I wont be friendly. I'll just be the evil ninja I am and snoop through your mind undetected,"_ I growled, losing the friendly tone I had earlier.

"_Your plan won't work as you've already told me what you're going to do. I'll just block you out,"_ stated Kakashi. I rolled my eyes. He seems to have forgotten just how talented I am with reading minds.

"_Oh, Kakashi. You seem to have forgotten just how fast my mind reading skills are. I've gathered all the information I need in these past 15 seconds,"_ I giggled. I love being better then others. Anyway, on that note I found what I was looking for. It's seems that there's an eight-man squad, plus a dog, in search of Itachi. Kakashi is apart of this squad along with the nine-tails. This could be interesting…

Kakashi had been silent for the past few seconds, so I was guessing he was trying to covering up his plan. Too bad for him though, since I've already got it.

"_Thanks for the information Kakashi. You've been very helpful,"_ I thanked the Copy nin.

"_Oh, and just so you know, you wont be getting your hands on Itachi. Especially after Sasuke's done with him. Bye bye,"_ I quickly added.

"_Sasuke? Wait Lar-,"_ started Kakashi before I cut off the conversation. I laughed to myself at the mental image of Kakashi freaking out about how their plan was figured out by the enemy. He trusts me too much. I'm surprised he didn't have the bond block actually. Now if I was him, I would have made sure there was no way that a rouge ninja could read my mind. Love makes people do crazy thing I guess.

"Hey Itachi! Got some information to give you!" I exclaimed to the Uchiha, who was up ahead. Itachi turned to look at me and I smiled my creepy, happy smile I get when I get good news. Time to let Itachi in on the Leaf's plans.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it :)<strong>

**Sorry for the late updates. I've been busy and have lacked motivation lately... I'll try to do better, but no promises :)**


	30. Chapter 29

Itachi wasn't too worried when I told him that the Leaf was after him. He just told me to keep tabs on them, and make sure they don't get to Sasuke before he got to us.

We were just about to the Uchiha hideout, and surprisingly Kisame and I haven't fought at all. I was sure that we'd be at each other's throats since we had to spend so much time together. I'm not complaining though. The less I had to hear shark boy's voice, the better.

As we were just walking I decided to let my mind wonder. There wasn't really anything to think about. Well, there was the issue concerning a certain Leaf shinobi, but I didn't want to think about that. Unfortunately, my mind disagreed with me and started bringing up images of the silver haired ninja. So, I gave into what my mind wanted to think about, and thought back to the conversation I had with Kakashi just a few minutes ago.

The conversation was much really. Just a random one that probably had Kakashi confused. There was no point in it besides me just get information and I could just gotten that without actually having to talk to him. Eh… It's not that important that I talked to him anyway. It's not like I gave him my location or our plans. I just gave him a friendly reminder that I'm alive. I hinted that Sasuke was going to kill Itachi… Oh well, not like that was surprising. Also, I probably gave him a hint that I was with Itachi, but that's not a big deal. Me being with Itachi wont cause me any trouble besides the fact that if the Leaf does find us I'll be dodging kunai aimed for vital spots. Not like they'll be able to kill me anyway. From what I gathered Kakashi and Yamato are the only jonin they have on their team, and no chunin will ever beat me.

My thoughts were interrupted by a very loud shout. I glanced around to see where the voice came from, but couldn't find the source. The shout came again, Itachi and Kisame not fazed at all by the loud voice. I cleared my thoughts and put all my focus onto the voice.

"_Lark!"_ Shouted the voice. After focusing on it, I realized that it was coming from my mind and that voice was very familiar to me. It was Mika yelling at me through the bond. Problem was, Mika didn't sound like her usual cheerful self. She sounded a bit frantic with maybe a bit a fear.

"_Mika? Is everything all right? You hardly ever use the bond,"_ I questioned my friend. The bond I have with Mika was only used if it was absolutely necessary. We found it useless as we were together most of the time, and the fact that I could read her mind kind of creeped Mika out a bit.

"_I know, but we have a big problem!"_ Exclaimed Mika. Now I was really concerned…

"_What's the matter?"_ I asked. It didn't take Mika long to answer as she almost cut me off to tell me what was happening.

"_Deidara and Jiro are fighting with Sasuke Uchiha! This is a big problem since they're both at a disadvantage!"_ Yelled Mika. I would try to tell her to quiet down, but whenever she got nervous, she got really loud and she was hard enough to calm down in person. What she said had me a bit shocked. I have no idea why Deidara and Jiro would be fighting Sasuke, but the fact that Sasuke had a better chance of winning scared me. Don't get me wrong, Deidara and Jiro are very strong fighters, but Deidara used Earth style and Jiro used Water. Both those styles are at a disadvantage against Sasuke's Lightning. Only reason I knew what style Sasuke fought with was because Itachi had found out and told me.

"_Can you tell me how this started and what's happening right now?"_ I asked. Again, Mika was quick to answer, which was probably a good thing, as I wasn't going to have very much patience's right now.

"_Well, Deidara was an idiot and decided to go after Sasuke without Jiro or my knowledge. We found Sasuke and Deidara decided to attack him. Then Sasuke asked where Itachi was, Jiro was going to anawer, but Deidara's ego got in the way and he started fighting the kid. So, we let it go on for a while until Deidara nearly died! Jiro wanted to help, so he jumped in and isn't doing too good as Sasuke figured out that blood doesn't respond well to lightning,"_ explained Mika a big rush. For a moment I thought she would run out of breath, but she seemed to have air to spare as she started talking again.

"_Right now, there is a giant Deidara bomb and Jiro's nearly passed out. Tobi and I are running to get out of the way, Jiro's trying to follow, but I have no clue as to what's going on!"_ Finished the frantic Mika. I was silent for a moment and thought over the situation.

"_Ok, Mika? I need you to get Jiro and get out of there. What ever Deidara does next is his own damn fault. I'm sure that whatever you guys tell him, Deidara won't listen,"_ I told Mika.

"_Easier said than done! Do you know how much Jiro weighs?!"_ Protested Mika. I sighed and tried to come up with something else, but nothing came to mind. All I know was that Mika and Jiro can't fight Sasuke. Also, they'll probably get caught in one of Deidara's bombs. I've seen what lightning does to Jiro; I've hit him with a few volts myself and the outcome has never been good. Mika uses Earth style, which is useless against Lightning. I'd try to help Tobi as well right now, but he's the least of my concern.

"_Mika, I don't care how much Jiro freaking weights! He's your friend so help him! So, get Jiro and get out of there as fast as your feet can take you!"_ I yelled at my friend. Running was the only thing I could think of them doing. I was no expert on bombs and neither was Mika or Jiro. Though, what ever Deidara has planned can't be good.

"_Ok! I've got him and we're running!"_ Exclaimed Mika. I sighed a bit in relief.

"_Let me know when something else happens,"_ I told Mika. I knew for certain that the fight between Deidara and Sasuke would soon, but someone's going to die.

"_Well, you're going to hear from me a lot sooner then you probably wanted,"_ mumbled Mika. This time I sighed in annoyance as I was really hoping that nothing too interesting would happen for a while.

"_What's going on?"_ I asked.

"_Deidara's having a mental break down and Jiro broke free from my hold. He's going to try to stop Sasuke, tell him where Itachi is,"_ said Mika. I didn't even say bye to Mika as I cut off our converstation and connect my mind to Jiro's.

"_Jiro Chi! You go back to Mika right this second!"_ I ordered. There was no way I was having my friend get close to the unstable bomber and that bastard Uchiha.

"_Lark, I'm just trying to help Deidara!"_ Exclaimed Jiro.

"_Whatever has happened so far is all Deidara's fault! You have nothing to do with it! Now get out of there with Mika before Deidara sets of another bomb!"_ I shouted. Jiro my have feelings towards Deidara, but I wouldn't care if it was his grandma in the crossfire. He is not risking his life for someone else's. Call it selfish as I don't want my friend to die, but I don't care.

"_Lark just listen!"_ Jiro tried to defend, but I wasn't having it.

"_No you listen! Get your ass out of there now!"_ I growled. I got no reply, so either Jiro listened to me or was being an idiot and went with his plan. So, I went back to my bond with Mika to see what was going on. As I did this I thought about telling Itachi to see what to do, but figured he would just leave it. So, I would inform him after the outcome was decided.

"_Mika what the hell is going on?!"_ I asked.

"_I'm running because Deidara has started eating his clay with a mouth on his chest and I'm afraid it's going to be a big ass bomb. Then there's Jiro just got shocked by Sasuke for no damn reason,"_ answered Mika. She sounded a bit out of breath, probably from trying to run so fast.

"_Damnit! Uchiha's have to learn when someone's trying to help them!"_ I yelled, very angry with the young Uchiha. Also, I was angry with Deidara for starting this mess.

"_Sorry Lark, but I can't due anything but run…"_ murmured Mika. I bit my lip in worry, as I knew she was right. I cut off my connection to Mika and went back to Jiro only to discover that he was barely conscious. There was no way he'd be able to get out of there in time. There was also no way he'd be able to actually talk to me as it seemed like the lightning shocks messed up our bond a bit.

Jiro wasn't that strong against lightning, which is probably a result of his Kekkei Genkai. His jutsu is formed around blood, and blood has a water base. I know Earth is the weakest against Lightning, but have you ever put a hairdryer in a bathtub full of water? I wouldn't think so as it would electrocute you. Well, that reaction between lightning/electricity and water happens to Jiro as his body has more water in it then a normal human. This was probably a really bad explanation, but I'm not a scientist ok? So, deal with it.

By going over the situation and thinking about how Jiro reacts badly to Lightning, I knew was a goner. Deidara probably was too, but I wasn't familiar with the mouth on his chest thing so I can't be sure as to what he's doing. I just hope that Sasuke dies as well. I don't give a rat's ass if Itachi gets mad. Nothing he can do when his brother's dead.

I had stopped walking as I let everything sink in. I knew what was going to happen once Jiro was gone, so I tried to mentally prepare myself. Hoping that the heads up would lessen the pain that I knew was coming.

Kisame was the first to notice that I had stopped. Looking back at me, the shark gave me an annoyed look. Ignoring it, let my head drop and my hair covered my entire face. The sound of both Itachi's and Kisame's foot steps stopped. They must both be wondering what I was doing, but I could care less as to what they thought at that moment.

"Lark are you ok?" Asked Kisame. I was slightly surprised that it was Kisame that asked me that. I always thought he could careless as to if I was ok or not. I would have lied and said yes, but that wouldn't fool anyone. Just by looking at me you would think my cat died or something. So, instead of replying with "I'm fine", I shook my head "no".

At that moment, a very sharp pain shot through my head. My eyes widened and I gripped my head in pain. The pain just got worse and worse with no hint that it would lessen up anytime soon. My legs began to shake when the pain grew worse. I tried to stay standing, but it was useless. I fell to my knees and doubled over in pain with my hands still pressed to my head.

When I hit the ground, I let out a high-pitched scream. The pain was becoming too much to bare and I didn't care if anyone thought me weak at that moment. I'd like to see them try to sit through what was going on in my head. It felt like someone had reached into my mind and was physically ripping out the bond that connected me to Jiro.

I tried to open my eyes, it took some force, but I managed. Though, it would have been better if they stayed shut. All I could see was white and nothing else. My senses were all gone. The only thing that I could feel at that moment was the pain in my head. Fortunately for me, I couldn't feel anything once everything went black. The pain had gotten so bad that I had passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it! :)<strong>

**Please tell me what you think :) Bye Bye!**


	31. Chapter 30

_14 Years Earlier_

"Mika! Would you knock it off?" I yelled at my friend who was throwing grass at me.

"Okay! Sorry!" Shot Mika as she went back to pulling grass from the ground, except this time she didn't throw them at me.

Mika and I were sitting under our team meet up tree waiting for our sensei. Hantā-sensei had told us to meet her at eleven o'clock am because she had a surprise for us. It was now a quarter after eleven and Hantā-sensei had yet to show up. So, now Mika and I were bored. Mika had found a solution for her boredom by throwing grass at me because she has the mind of a five year old. However, I wasn't very amused and because of my short temper I got mad. Luckily, Mika knows not to push it after I yell the first time.

"Where's Hantā-sensei? She's never late," whined Mika as she flopped down onto her back. I just shrugged and looked around to see if our sensei was nearing.

Another five minutes passed and still no sensei. I was beginning to get annoyed, as I hated waiting. Like Mika said, Hantā-sensei was never late. So, I was both irritated and a bit worried because something may have happened to her. Though, just as I thought that, I saw sensei's familiar purple hair coming towards us.

"You're late!" Shouted Mika when she noticed Hantā-sensei coming closer. Sensei just shook her head as she continued towards us; Mika and I were both standing at this point. As she was walking, I noticed a figure walking slightly behind her. I knew Mika saw this as well as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Sorry I'm late. I had some difficulty trying to convince some unwilling parents," apologized sensei when she came to a stop in front of us. The person who was with her stopped too, but he didn't say or do anything. He just stood there with his head down.

I let my eyes scan over him real quick before anyone said anything. The boy was about an inch or two taller and had slightly darker skin than me. His hair was blood red and was a bit shaggy looking. I couldn't get a good look at his eyes as his hair covered them. All of his clothes were black and white. He had a black T-shirt over top of a white long sleeved shirt; he wore black pants with white pockets, his headband acting as a belt, and had regular ninja shoes that were also black. His outfit really made his hair stand out and I can already hear Mika making fun of his brightly coloured hair.

"Mika. Lark. I want you to meet Jiro Chi. He'll be on our team from now on," said Hantā-sensei. She glanced behind her and motioned at the boy to come forward. He did and as he did, he lifted his head up. Now I could actually see his eyes, which were a golden colour and also stood out along with his hair.

"I'm Lark Mayumi. Nice to meet you," I greeted, while sticking my hand out towards Jiro. He smiled slightly and shook my hand in return.

"Hi! I'm Mika Midorikawa!" Exclaimed Mika as she stuck out her hand as well. Jiro was a bit more hesitant when taking Mika's hand. I couldn't blame him though; even I would be freaked out if a stranger greeted me with that much enthusiasm.

"It's very nice to meet both of you," shyly replied Jiro. Mika and I smiled in return, Mika's smile being a lot bigger than mine. Though, I did give the red head a curious glance. He looked a couple years older than Mika and I, and he seemed really shy. I wonder what he's been through to be that shy and be a shinobi.

"Good, now that we're all introduced lets start tra-," began Hantā-sensei, but Mika cut her off.

"Are you older than us? Why are you so shy? Why are you on our team? And why did _Hantā_-sensei have to convince your parents?" Mika asked, bombarding Jiro with too many questions. It almost looked like she was going to continue, but was cut short by the glare that sensei had sent her.

"Umm… W-well…I-I…" Stuttered Jiro, but he didn't answer any of Mika's questions. He looked rather uncomfortable and Hantā-sensei could see that. So, Hantā-sensei answered the questions in her own way.

"For one, Mika that was extremely rude of you to cut me off and bombard Jiro with questions. Secondly, none of that information concerns you," scolded sensei. Mika looked down in shame and gave a quiet apology. Hantā-sensei put her hand to her to her face and sighed before continuing with what she wanted to say.

"Though, I will give you some info. The rest will be up to Jiro to give you, only if he wants to," said sensei. All three of us nodded and let sensei continue.

"Jiro is fourteen, so he's two years older. The reason he's on our team is because I only had two students when I should have three, but your class had an odd number of students. Jiro was originally trained by his clan, but needed experience with other shinobi. His parents on the other hand thought he should stay with the clan." Explained Hantā-sensei.

"Now that's all you need to know and now we can start training," finished sensei. Mika groaned at the word training, while Jiro and I nodded.

* * *

><p><em>Present Time<em>

That had been the first time I ever met Jiro. He was so shy at first and barely talked to us. Though, later on he had told us that his family was over protective and kept him shielded from others. So, he didn't have many friends growing up.

I remember that it took almost two weeks before Jiro could speak a full sentence to Mika or I. Though, he had no trouble speaking to Hantā-sensei when we weren't around. When we all became better friends, Jiro told us that the reason he didn't talk to us was because we scared him. Mika was way too hyper and made him feel awkward with the thousands of questions she asked. I apparently looked like I was always glaring and because I only had one eye showing made me scarier looking. I guess I didn't look like that nice of a child… Though, I was nice! It's just from age ten to possibly age 16, I always had a neutral look. It's not my fault that I have naturally narrow eyes.

Anyway, I remember that day really well as it was the first day I met one of my closest friends. Thinking about it now just hurts…

* * *

><p><em>Twelve Years Earlier<em>

"Lark? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Questioned Jiro, looking a little worried, as he came up to Iruka and I. Today had been our day off, so I had decided to hang out with Iruka instead of my team. I wasn't being mean to them, but I see them everyday and I sometimes need to get away from the loudness of Mika.

Looking towards Iruka, I silently asked if I could go talk to my worried looking friend. Iruka nodded and said that he'd meet with me later. So, after he left, I turned back towards Jiro.

"Umm… Can we go somewhere more private?" Asked Jiro, as he glanced around the busy street we were standing in. I nodded and started walking towards my house, which was only a couple streets over.

I had lived in my clan's complex, which wasn't that big, but it seemed big since I was the only one living there. When we entered and took off our shoes, I motioned for Jiro to sit in the living room.

"Do you want anything to drink? I'm sure I have some tea," I offered Jiro as he sat down on the couch.

"No thank-you. I'd probably spill it anyway," answered Jiro. I giggled at bit at his claim, as Jiro wasn't at all clumsy, but stopped when I noticed that his hands were shaking slightly.

"What did you want to talk about Jiro? Is something the matter?" I questioned the red head. Jiro was silent for a moment and then nodded his head a minute later.

"I-I d-don't know h-how to say t-this…" Stuttered Jiro. I got up from the chair I sat in and sat right next to my friend. Jiro only stuttered whenever he was nervous or scared. So it must be a big problem if Jiro's stuttering.

"Take a deep breath and slowly tell me what's wrong," I instructed Jiro. The red head took a few deep breaths for good measures and started to explain his problem.

"I… I'm gay…" Whispered Jiro. I sort of wished that he had spoke louder, but I still heard him, so I didn't push.

"Sweetheart, is that all?" I asked Jiro; using the small pet name I'd given him to make him feel better.

"What do you mean 'is that all?'?! Of course it isn't!" Exclaimed Jiro in a worried some tone. I patted his arm to make him less tense, but I wasn't working.

"Jiro, you know there's no problem with being gay. You don't have to be all worried about it," I told my friend. I had no problem with people being gay, and neither did Mika. Hantā-sensei didn't mind either since she had a girlfriend, so it would be weird if she was against it and was gay herself, or at least bi.

"I know, but my parents will think differently," mumbled Jiro. I sighed slightly at the mention of Jiro's parents. His parents may seem like nice people at first, but they're judgmental bastards that only care about their clan. It didn't really surprise me that they would be against gays. Especially the fit they threw when they found out that their son's sensei was dating a girl.

"Well, your parents are idiots if they have a problem with your sexuality. They can go screw themselves," I said with an a bit of an angry tone. Jiro didn't laugh or anything after I spoke, he just sat there looking at his hands.

"They want me to be the next head of the Chi clan…" Trailed Jiro. I gave a curious glance towards my friend.

"You? I thought Jun was going to be the next head since he's the eldest," I replied. Jiro's older brother, Jun, was supposed to take over the clan, not Jiro. I mean the clan would be in better hands with Jiro, but there was that tradition that the eldest was usually the next head.

"My abilities surpass Jun's. So my parents think that it would be better if I took over," explained Jiro. I nodded in understanding since I knew very well that Jiro was a much better shinobi than his brother. Besides, Jun was a douche bag and I'd feel sorry for the Chi clan if that cockroach took over.

"If I tell my parents I'm gay than they'll be very angry. The next head of the clan can't be gay. I have to be able to continue our family name," continued Jiro. He was right. If he's gay he can't have children and that will piss them off to the extreme. They won't care if he even adopts a child. The kid won't have the Chi family Kekkei Genkai and that's all that matter's to Jiro's family.

"It's alright Jiro. If they can't accept you then they don't deserve to be called your parents," I comforted, while rubbing my friend's back. Jiro nodded in agreement, but still wore that worried expression.

"What if they disown me?" Asked Jiro in a soft tone. I was silent at first, but then gave him a smile.

"If that happens then you can come live with me and be my older brother," I cheered. Jiro was already like a brother to me and I wouldn't mind sharing my house with someone other than spiders.

"Thanks Lark," smiled Jiro in return. I smile grew bigger when I saw that worried look disappear from the red head's face.

"I'm I the first one to know?" I asked Jiro. He thought for a second and gave a shy smile.

"Besides the guy I've been making-out with lately, than yes. You're the first to know," chuckled Jiro. My eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Jiro's possibly boyfriend.

"You have a boyfriend? Tell me all about him. Tell me! Tell me!" I exclaimed, getting a bit to excited. Jiro chuckled again at my excitement and refused to tell me. Though, I won the fight in the end and got to hear all about Jiro's love life.

* * *

><p><em>Present Time<em>

I remember that day really well. It was the first time that Jiro really showed that he fully trusted me. I was the first one he told about his sexual preference and it made me happy to know that he came to me first.

That day also probably spawned my interest in Jiro's love life, as I always wanted to know what was happening. I would make sure the guy Jiro liked was good for him, make sure to threaten all his boyfriends, and made sure to tease him. I'm pretty sure Jiro regretted telling me his sexuality at times since I acted like he was the daughter and I was the over protected father. Though, I would most likely be the same if Jiro was straight and had a girlfriend.

* * *

><p><em>9 Years Earlier<em>

"Jiro run!" I shouted as I tried to dodge another attack from some fish looking dude. Jiro, Mika and I had been returning from a mission from Iwagakura, but had been ambushed on our way home. Our attackers weren't from the Rock Village, but the guy I was fighting was from the mist. I don't know about the other guy, but I knew both were rogue ninjas because of the scratch I saw on fish guy's headband and I guessed the other guy had one too.

"I'm not going to leave you by yourself! You'll die!" Exclaimed Jiro as he dodged an attack. I really didn't care if I died, I just didn't want to lose another friend. Mika had been taken down already, but she wasn't dead… Yet. She was still alive but her vital signs were weak.

"It's better if one of us gets out of here alive. So, go! That's an order!" I ordered Jiro. He still didn't run off though. I growled in frustrated as I dodged another attack. This guy I was fighting was damn good and he didn't seem tired at all. We've been fighting for over an hour and I had used a lot of chakra, while he still had tone to spare!

"I'd listen to your Captain. We don't want to kill someone we don't have to," said the fish guy that I was fighting. I glared at him because I knew he was lying. This guy would love to kill Jiro, but it seemed like they had specific orders to get me only.

"_Jiro, just go. I'll be fine,"_ I told Jiro through our bond. Jiro knew that he had lost the battle. He threw one last attack at the enemy and dashed of through the tree. Thankfully no one followed him. Though, before he left, he gave a very worried and sad look that made me turn away in guilt. I know he felt guilty by running away, but I felt guilty too. I couldn't protect him or Mika, and now I was leaving him with no close friends.

Mika and I had been his closest friends and now he didn't really have anyone. I knew this because I knew I wasn't going to live through this fight. If they wanted me alive, then they were going to have to knock me out good. I'd kill myself before I gave them any info on the Konoha.

* * *

><p><em>Present Time<em>

Sadly, I remember this time really well. I hated to see that look on Jiro's face. I knew he just really wanted to help, but I didn't want him to die. He had a lot going for him at that point. He was 18 years old, had a boyfriend and things were going all right with his family. I wanted him to live his life and not end it when it had just started. I didn't know that after that day, that Jiro's life would take a wrong turn.

* * *

><p><em>7 Years Earlier<em>

Mika and I had been standing with Itachi and Kisame in an empty room. I couldn't remember where we actually were, but it was somewhere in the Land of Water.

Itachi had brought Mika and I with him because he said that we had to see something. Both Mika and I had told him that whatever he had to show us was not in our interests, but he won in the end.

I didn't understand why it was important for Mika and I to see what ever this thing is, since we weren't main Akatsuki. Whatever though, as long as we didn't get in trouble for anything I was fine.

"So, what do you want to show us Itachi?" Asked Mika who was running out of patience. She had begun tapping her foot in irritation a short while ago as she hated to be kept waiting. We had been standing here for about 20 minutes now and nothing was happening. Whatever Itachi wanted to show us was taking his sweet time.

"You'll see in a minute," answered Itachi. Mika gave a huff, and crossed her arms over her chest. She was never good a waiting. I wasn't too good at waiting either, but I had more patience than Mika for sure.

Another 5 minutes passed and I was about ready to leave. I didn't care if Itachi said this was important, I was sick of waiting and Mika's foot tapping was starting to bug me. Though, just as I turned to the Uchiha to announce my leave, someone came through the door.

The person had shaggy blood red hair, golden eyes that stood out along with his hair, wore all black and white clothing and used his headband as a belt. Though, the Leaf symbol on his headband had a scratch through it. My eyes widened as I took in the guy's appearance as I recognized him almost instantly. I knew Mika knew who he was as she squealed in delight and rushed over to the guy. Before he could figure out what was happening, the red head was crushed into one of Mika's bear hugs.

"Jiro! I thought I'd never see you again!" Cheered Mika as she still held on to Jiro. The red head laughed and hugged Mika back. He then looked at me when he noticed I hadn't moved or said a word.

"Hey Lark. Nice to see you again," greeted Jiro as he pried Mika off him. Once he was Mika free, I walked up t him with a smile. Though, the smile didn't last long. My eyes narrowed and I glared at my friend that I should have never seen again. When Jiro realized what I was going to do he tired to back up, but I was too fast. I slapped Jiro hard on the left cheek.

"That wasn't a reaction I expected," whispered Kisame to Itachi form behind me.

"We should leave and let them talk," replied Itachi who turned and left through the back door. Kisame followed, but not before sending my friends and I a quick smirk. I ignored them though, as I was thankful they were leaving.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I yelled at Jiro who was rubbing his red cheek. Mika didn't say anything surprisingly, as she was shocked that I slapped our friend that we haven't seen in two years.

"I came to find you and Mika," answered Jiro as he was still rubbing his cheek. I slapped the back of his head this time, deciding to give his face a break. Jiro's hand moved from his cheek to his head, as he tried to stop the pain.

"Why do you keep hitting me?" Asked Jiro, slightly annoyed with my abuse. He expected me to give him hug like Mika had and be happy to see him, but no. I was not happy to see him.

"Because you're stupid! You shouldn't be here!" I answered. Finally understanding what I was getting at, Jiro turned his gaze from me to the ground.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't stay in the Leaf any long…" Mumbled Jiro. Mika and I both gave are friend a concerned and curious look. However, mine still held a glare.

"Why?" Simply asked Mika. It took a moment for Jiro to find his words, like he didn't know how to explain it.

"My family's why. They were trying to make me choose between the clan and my boyfriend. I didn't want to give up someone I loved, but I didn't want to let the clan down," started Jiro. His gaze was still focused on the floor as he spoke.

"It also didn't help when my parents and brother started talking bad about you two, Hantā-sensei and Kakashi," continued Jiro. Mika was about to interrupt with her two-bit, and I was about to as well, but I managed to stop her with a glare. We didn't need this explanation to become all about us. Though, I was curious as too why the head Chi family would talk bad about their son's old team. I was even more curious as to why Kakashi was mentioned. Though, I'm sure Jiro would explain soon enough.

"They started saying that you two had been weak and were not good friends for me to have. They believed that if I had more 'responsible' and 'respectful' teammates, then I would be a more obedient son and not have been taught to be 'rebellious'," said Jiro as he told us what his parents really though about Mika and I. I always knew they didn't like me that much.

"Then they tried to blame Hantā-sensei for me being gay. They said, 'If it wasn't for that good for nothing sensei of yours then you wouldn't have turned out this way. What were they thinking letting a lesbian teach children? Having that just teaches kids that being gay isn't a bad thing.' Of course they added some colourful language in the mix that I left out," said Jiro. He left the swearing out because he was not a fan of it. Him not liking swearing sometimes made it hard for him to not wince around Mika and I since we did not censor at all. Though, I was most likely sure that 'bitch' was thrown around a lot during that conversation, and not just for Hantā-sensei

I couldn't believe that his parents could be such homophobes! I knew that they weren't that supportive and would rather see their son with a girl than a boy, but to go and blame a respected sensei? That is pure homophobia! If only Jiro's parents were here right now and I would give them a piece of my mind.

"I'm guessing you two are more curious as to why Kakashi was mentioned," stated Jiro. Both Mika and I had stayed silent throughout Jiro's explanation, but you could clearly see the mixed feelings we shared about the situation, curiousity being one. So, after we nodded, Jiro continued again.

"I know Kakashi didn't get involved with my family all that much, but the Chi clan never did like the Hatakes for some reason. Though, they absolutely loathed the idea of Kakashi marrying you, Lark. They thought that the Chi clan should posses the Kokoro no Ressun. Don't ask me why. The Chi clan is just full of greedy bastards," continued Jiro again, as he looked towards Mika and I.

"I just couldn't deal with it anymore," finished our red headed friend.

I could just tell by Mika's expression, and by the way her fists were clenched, that she was going to burst any second. I was the same, but I didn't show it as easily as my brunette friend.

"Well, you're better off here with us! You don't need those assholes. Besides the Akatsuki's great!" Exclaimed Mika. I shook my head at the girl. She had no idea how the Akatsuki really was and I knew that Jiro wouldn't be better off with us. If he wanted to live a long life, he should head back to the Leaf Village now. Maybe the Hokage will go easy on him if he returns willingly.

"Jiro, you should really go-," I started, but Jiro cut me off.

"I know you think that I'd be better off in t Konoha, but you can make me," said Jiro. I glared, but didn't say anything. Once Jiro had his mind set on something, it was really hard to change it. I knew that it would be a lost battle if I tried to get him to leave. Mika would be on Jiro's side and then it would be two against one. Also, the Akatsuki will never let him go now that they know he's connected to me. Jiro has a powerful Kekkei Genkai and they'd want it on their side.

"Fine. You can stay, but you have to keep Mika in order," I told the red head. Jiro's eyes widened slightly at the impossible task I gave him. Though, he nodded soon enough in agreement and gave me a hug, which I returned.

"Wait… Are you using me as some kind of threat?" Questioned Mika. I rolled my eyes and Jiro just laughed. We didn't answer her and she started to look at us in great confusion.

* * *

><p><em>Present Time<em>

I really wish I had forced Jiro to leave. Then maybe he'd still be alive…

It's my fault he's dead. Just like it was my fault that Hantā-sensei died…

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it!<strong>

**Please tell me what you thought about it :)**


	32. Chapter 31

**OH MY GOD! I UPDATED! :D**

**Sorry about the long wait... I really have no reason (Maybe a few, but you wouldn't care), but I'll make it up! Summer is just about to start and that means no school, so I can write more often :)**

**Hope you all don't hate me now... Enjoy the story! (It may suck though...)**

* * *

><p>I slowly opened my eyes and stared up at the stone ceiling. Even though I knew I had been passed out for a while, my body did not feel refreshed at all. There was no energy at all through out my entire body. That was to be expected though. Who would have the energy to move after such an emotional experience?<p>

The only body part that I did move were my eyes. I was a bit curious as to why there was a ceiling. Moving my eyes from side to side, I couldn't see much. For one I had hair covering my right eye, but also the room didn't have the best lighting. Fit my mood perfectly… Oh, look at me. Being emo...

"Good, you're awake," said a voice to my left. I knew that it was Itachi and the sound of his voice made me a bit more aware of what was around me. Being more aware finally had me realize that I had a cloak underneath me. I was lying flat on the ground with the cloak acting as a bed.

Slowly, I started moving my arms and legs. I would have responded to Itachi, but I feared that my voice would fail. After what had just happened I was afraid that I would start crying any second, but I wouldn't let that happen. I haven't cried in front of someone in years. There was no way I was going to show Itachi my weak side.

"Are you feeling alright? You've been out for two days," Itachi questioned. Only two days? Huh, I would have thought at least three. Last time this happened I was out for at least a week.

I only nodded in response as I sat up. Dizziness hit me as I was fully up and I swayed a bit. Not a second later, I felt hands grip my shoulders to keep me steady. Glancing to the side I saw that the hands belonged to Itachi.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Asked Itachi again. I nodded once more as the dizziness died down. It wont be long until I'm fully functional. The dizziness is just from all the flashbacks that were thrown at me while knocked out.

Shrugging Itachi's hands off, I got up completely. There was another wave of dizziness, but I managed to stay up right without help. Itachi picked up the cloak I was lying on, and I noticed that he wasn't wearing his. How kind. He lent me his.

"If you're wondering where we are, we're at the Uchiha hideout," Itachi informed me. I looked around the room more after he said that and saw the Uchiha clan symbols that decorated the dark room. There weren't many, but there were enough.

"Are you going to speak? I hate to say this, but I'm starting to miss your voice," teased Itachi. I narrowed my eyes and stuck my tongue out at the Uchiha. Though, I was impressed that he had the ability to tease people.

"_Will you talk now?"_ Asked Itachi through the bond. I didn't respond. My Kokoro no Ressun was currently unusable on my end at the moment. It sort of fries itself after a bond is cut.

"I guess not," Itachi said to himself. It was silent for a moment and Itachi had gone to sit on a stone chair, more like throne, which was up some stairs.

"Well, since you're not able to speak at the moment, I'll tell you what's going to happen," decided Itachi. I sighed, but nodded for him to continue.

"I suspect Sasuke to show up any moment now. I have Kisame to keep Sasuke's team away, but I need you to keep the Leaf ninjas busy," explained Itachi. I sighed again, but in annoyance this time. I really didn't want to go stall the Leaf. It would just make for an awkward encounter and/or a fight. Probably a fight, as I'm guessing they aren't fans of me right now.

"You don't look very impressed. I thought you'd be happy to see your friends from the Leaf," said Itachi. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"I'm thrilled…" I cracked, my voice just coming back. Itachi gave a small smile and an almost silent laugh.

"Good to hear your voice again," smiled the Uchiha. I smiled back and then I thought came to mind.

"You know Itachi. That's something someone would say to a person they liked. And I don't mean friend wise," I teased. Itachi's smile dropped and once again he looked like his normal self. Though, I wasn't upset by the change. The smiling Itachi sort of freaked me out a bit. It was pretty out of character for him.

"Of course the second sentence you speak is something that will piss me off," grumbled the weasel. I smirk at the Uchiha and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. It was too easy to push Itachi's buttons.

"Come on. Just admit that you have feelings for me," I pressed. Really, I was only saying this to get under his skin, as we already said we were just friends.

"Lark, this is not very professional," stated Itachi.

"I never said it was. Though, you aren't answering me," I pointed out. Itachi looked away from me and turned his back away. I could have sworn he looked fairly uncomfortable about the subjuct.

"You didn't ask a question," replied Itachi. I shook my head again and went to go stand in front of the Uchiha.

"Nevermind then… When do you want me to leave?" I asked, going back to the previous topic about the Leaf.

"Anytime. I figure that Sasuke will show up any moment now and it's better if you were gone before he saw you," answered Itachi, who seemed more comfortable now. I tilted my head slightly, my hair falling from my face, as I was confused as to why I had to be gone so soon.

"Why don't you want Sasuke to see me?" I questioned.

"I'm afraid he'll go after you after he's done with me because you worked with me," explained the Uchiha. I was still slightly confused, but also flattered.

"Aww… You do care about me!" I exclaimed. Itachi rolled his eyes and went to go sit on his "Throne".

"You can take it that way I suppose. Though, I just don't want Sasuke finding out about what really happened," said Itachti. Now I was really confused.

"What really happened? Itachi, I don't even know why you left the village," I stated. Yes, I could've read his mind to figure it out, but do you know how scary Itachi's mind is? It's like a haunted house and you're a scared little kid screaming at every corner. That's probably because he put up a genjutsu in his head though… Still, I wouldn't want a mad Itachi if I found something I wasn't supposed to.

"You'll find out after I'm gone," said Itachi. I felt a chill run up my spine at the word gone.

"Don't remind me… I just went through one bond breaking and I don't really want to think about the next one," I mentioned. Itachi smiled again, but it was a sad one. Though, it was still a smile and I was shocked at how many times I've seen him smile already.

"Wouldn't it be better to be prepared?" Suggested Itachi. I shrugged and turned to leave.

"Maybe, but I like to improvise." I laughed, knowing full well that was a lie. Improvising and me never seemed to get along.

"See you later," I waved as I began to walk away.

"Maybe we'll see each other soon," responded Itachi. I stopped and turned for a second.

"You bet!" I promised and teleported out. I didn't really want to drag out the farewell by walking.

* * *

><p><strong>Please tell me what you thought about it :)<strong>

**Oh Yeah! Just to warn ya, Kakashi may be in the next chapter ;)**


	33. Chapter 32

When I appeared in front of the Uchiha hideout, I let a bit of grief sweep my face. I usually wouldn't show that emotion, even if for a second, but I think I deserved it. I mean I've been through some real shit lately and it would seem weird if I didn't show some distress. Itachi must of thought of me as very odd as I just jumped right into happy and sarcastic Lark instead of being sad and hurt Lark. I mean I just lost one of my best friends; it would be understandable if I wanted to break down into tears. Even though I want to just create a river of tears, I'm not. The only time I ever will show some form of mourning is when I'm by myself.

"Look who's finally up," laughed Kisame, making me put on happy Lark again. I didn't really greet fish boy, but gave a small smirk when I replied.

"You make it sound like I was sleeping," I pointed out. Though, Kisame probably actually believed that I was sleep and just faked the whole think.

"For all I know, you could've been. You could've faked the whole thing just to be carried the rest of the way," replied Kisame. See, I was right. Though, I knew he was lying and just wanted to get a laugh in. I was more than certain that Pain would have informed them that Deidara and Jiro died. I was also certain that Itachi must have reminded Kisame of my bonds and that I had one with Jiro.

"Well, I'm glad you were so concerned," I sassed. Kisame just smiled at me and turned around I guess to where he originally was. I decided to follow since I didn't really want to leave to go stall the Leaf.

"What are you going to do while Itachi's fighting his brother?" I asked. Curious as to what job Itachi had given him.

"I'm supposed to keep Sasuke's team occupied. We don't want them interfering," answered Kisame. I pouted a bit at what Kisame's job was. I would much rather screw with Sasuke's team than go up against the Leaf. Though, I guess it goes to show that Itachi likes me better since he doesn't want Sasuke to see me.

"Shouldn't you be going? We don't want your boy toy getting in the way as well," teased Kisame. I glared at the fish and crossed my arms in anger.

"He's not my "boy toy" and how did you even know about that?" I snapped. Kisame was the last person I wanted to know about Kakashi and I. Not like there was anything going on, I got enough crap from Mika, I don't need Kisame teasing me too.

"You may be a good ninja, but I'm a better pick pocket," snickered Kisame. I gasped and reached for my pocket. The letter was still there and so was the ring. That meant that he must have taken it and put it back without me knowing. Or he took it while I was passed out and put it back before I woke up.

"You're rude, you know that?" I growled, not at all happy with the fact Kisame knew a little about me private life. However if the Leaf decided to kill me than I won't have to listen to Kisame's teasing.

"Never said I wasn't," smirked Kisame. I stuck my tongue out at the blue ninja, but I froze for a moment when I felt something inside my head. It was kind of like knocking…

"_Hello?"_ I greeted, not entirely sure who was trying to contact me. My guess would've been Mika, but that would have been obvious, as she wouldn't have given a pause before speaking. Though, this wasn't really a conversation that was knocking, more like a message.

"_Lark, I know who'll hear this sooner than later. I just wanted you to know that we're coming for Itachi and I don't want you near. If we see you, you'll be killed,"_ informed Kakashi's voice. I couldn't help, but laugh slightly at the message. For one, it was kind of funny that Kakashi was warning me about their arrival. Secondly, it was hilarious to hear that I would be killed. I knew that it was one of the more likely outcomes of the get together, but I won't be that easy to kill. Also, he just gave me his location because of the bond. It's like he wants me to find them.

"Guess I should go," I said. I didn't really need to prolong this "meeting" with the Leaf any longer.

"Was that Itachi yelling at you to go do your job?" asked Kisame, though you could tell he was just joking. Though, I thought I'd answer him anyway.

"No. It was actually a warning for my "boy toy". His team's going to be closing in soon, so I'm going to meet them half way," I answered, sarcastically spitting out "boy toy". Honestly, I can't even think about Kakashi in that way. Well, maybe I can, but I'd rather not.

"Good luck then and please don't invite me to your wedding," pleaded Kisame. I just shook my head, already tired of the teasing. However, I had something to say to that and I cannot keep my mouth shut.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't invite you even if I was actually getting married and someone paid me," I joked. After I said that though, I actually think I was telling the truth. Not that I don't like Kisame, but I would not want his bad jokes at my wedding.

"See ya," I waved, Kisame waved in return, and started off into the direction Kakashi was.

As I was running I started to think. I know, not a good idea, as I tend to over think. Anyway, I was starting to think as to why Kakashi sent that message. He obviously knew that his location would be given away. I could've looked for it myself easily, but he just gave it to me basically. It's sort of like he wants me to find them…

Does Kakashi actually want me dead? Well, it wouldn't be strange if he did. I mean I've betrayed the village twice now and I'm not the most pleasant person in the world. Though, I actually believed that Kakashi would let me live. Especially after I read that note. Oh well, we'll see what happens soon.

Wait. If Itachi dies while I'm with the Leaf then I'm going to be a very easy target… I'll be passed out unless I somehow figure out away to stay conscious and fighting while my sanity is being taken. Very painfully I must add.

I am not looking forward to this… Let's hope luck is on my side today. It probably isn't. It's never on my side… Stupid luck…

"Hey Lark!" Exclaimed a very soft, but loud voice. It sort of made me jump. Glancing to where I heard the voice, I saw my little bat Kiki.

"Kiki? What are you doing here?" I questioned the little bat. Kiki gave a small smile as she struggled to keep up. Unfortunately, her little wings couldn't keep up, so I slowed down.

"Kiki wanted to see Lark! Zane sent Kiki here," answered Kiki as she latched on to my jacket collar. I sped up once she was secularly on.

"Ok, but I don't know why you want to be here…" I wondered. I love Kiki and all, but I really didn't need her getting in the way of… Wait! This can work! All I have to do is stall the Leaf and Kiki is a jabber box, so she's the perfect staller!

"Actually, I may have a use for you Kiki," I mentioned. Kiki let out a small noise of excitement and clapped her little hands together.

"What? What?" Sang Kiki. I smiled at her enthusiasm and explained to her what was going on.

"We're going to see Kakashi-baka? Kiki is going to help stall? Sounds fun!" Cheered Kiki. I smiled again. At least someone will have fun with this "get together".

"Lark! Stop for a moment," whispered Kiki. I did what the bat said and stopped almost immediately. Once I was still, Kiki rose into the air and pricked her ears forward.

"Kiki hears ninjas! Pretty sure they are Leaf," Kiki informed me. I nodded to Kiki and held my collar out so she could land there again. When Kiki was on, I took off again. Might as well get it over with now…

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it :D<strong>

**Please tell me what you thought :)**


	34. Chapter 33

I decided to stay out of sight for a moment; just to be sure it was the Leaf. Kiki was pretty sure, but she's not always right.

"How far away are they Kiki?" I asked. It took her a second, but Kiki found their location.

"Only about 100ft, but they're traveling fast," answered Kiki. Won't be too long then… I guess it wouldn't hurt to go stand in the open and wait for them. However, I sort of want to give them a jump scare. That's always funny.

"Lark? Is Tobi supposed to be here?" Questioned Kiki. I shook my head "no". Why would Kiki worry about him? I don't even think she's met him.

"Then Kiki must be sensing familiar chakra. Kiki senses Tobi," Kiki said. I stood up straight and looked in the direction Kiki was looking in. There was no sign of the annoying masked ninja, but Kiki can't be wrong. She may get villages mixed up, or people if they're in large groups, but she's never gotten an individual wrong before.

"What the hell would he be doing here?" I asked no one. I haven't seen Tobi since I came back from the Leaf Village. Also, I thought he would have died the same time Deidara and Jiro did, since he was Deidara's partner.

"Maybe Itachi sent him," replied Kiki. I shook my head again. There was no way Itachi would have sent a noobie with me. I don't even remember Tobi being around when I woke up. I'm confused…

"Let's go and cut off the Leaf. Maybe we'll catch Tobi in the process," I decided. It was about time we got going anyway. Kiki nodded in return and we took off towards our targets.

Once we were no more than 20ft away, still out of sight, Kiki made me stop.

"Why are we stopping Kiki?" I asked the small bat. I didn't sense anything and it's not like we're going in blind. Well, we sort of are, but there's still a small plan in the back of my head.

"It _was_ Tobi Kiki sensed. He's just ahead of us," informed Kiki. I was confused as to why Tobi would be here. It's not like he has anything to do with the Leaf.

"Guess we'll have to join him," I suggested. Tobi wasn't that bad, but I rather have all the fun to myself than sharing it with the oversized kid.

So, Kiki and I went over to where we thought the Leaf and Tobi would be. Kiki was telling me that she believed that Tobi had already come into contact with them. That sort of made me a bit mad. I wanted to be the one to throw them off… Now it's like I'm just some random party member joining the fight. Oh well, at least I can still poke some fun at them.

"Oh dear. Am I being underestimated by you guys?!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim, as we got closer. I made Kiki stop and ducked behind a tree before we were seen. I wanted to examine the scene first.

Peering from behind the tree and Kiki peering from behind me, I see a total off nine ninja. Eight of them were Leaf ninja, I only knew three of them by name, and a ninja dog. The ninth one so happed to be dressed in an Akatsuki cloak and be wearing an orange mask.

"Damn you Tobi!" I silently cursed the hyper man. He was not supposed to be here. Mostly because I was pretty sure Itachi, Kisame and I were the only ones who knew what was going to happen.

As I was cursing the masked ninja, I saw something come up behind him. Quickly I glanced at the eight Leaf ninja and noticed Naruto smirking. That's when I noticed it was a Naruto shadow clone, but before I could get rid of it, it had already attacked Tobi. Unsuccessfully I must add, as the clone went straight through the Akatsuki member. Wait. Through? Now I see as to why he was allowed into the Akatsuki. The little bugger has a unique technique.

Naruto then continued to try to defeat Tobi. It was kind of sad actually as the kid wasn't landing any hits. His teammate, who you would think would be helping him, just stared at Tobi. Most likely they were analyzing him, but still. Their teammate was getting served by a guy who doesn't take things too seriously.

* * *

><p>I had been standing behind my tree for a while now, and Kiki was getting a bit restless. So, I decided it was about time we said hi to our "friends". I let Kiki go first as she loved being the first one the enemy sees. Don't ask me why, but I think it maybe because talking bats sort throw people off most off the time.<p>

Before I went though, I took off my gloves and reached into my pocket. I thought that maybe I should finally start wearing that ring Kakashi gave me. It may prove very useful in throwing Kakashi's teammates off guard.

"Tobi!" I greeted as I jumped towards the branch he was standing on. Kiki must have already made her presence know as she was flapping her wings beside Tobi. If you looked closely you could've possible seen Kiki wearing a small smirk. She must have had fun announcing herself. Too bad I hadn't been paying attention.

Anyway, now the attention was all on me. Maybe it was a bit on Tobi, but mostly on me, the new party member.

"Lark-san! I thought you were out cold?" Wondered Tobi. It was surprising that he knew that I was passed out. Not many knew about the side effects of my kekkei genkai, and Tobi was not someone I told.I gave the guy a smile anyway; a fake one, as I was still pissed off that he was here.

"I was, but I woke up earlier than expected," I replied. Tobi gave a cheer and I guess smile, but that mask sort of stopped my view of his face.

"Great another one," sighed someone from below. I looked down and noticed that it was a guy with a dog, who was probably an Inuzuka that said it.

"Of course another one. Couldn't let Tobi have all the fun," I smirked. It was true in way though. There was no way I was going to let Tobi hog all the glory.

"What game can we play? You need to be included Lark-san!" Laughed Tobi. Kiki gave a small huff when her name wasn't mentioned.

"Oh! Sorry Kiki-chan! You can play too," apologized Tobi. I just shook my head and looked over everyone's faces. I was kind of surprised that Kakashi had verbally addressed me. You'd think he would have asked what I was doing here.

I looked over everyone's faces as Tobi and Kiki came up with a game. All the Leaf ninjas seemed very focused on the enemies in front of them, especially me. Which was good I suppose, but it wouldn't do them much good. It wasn't like I was going to attack head on. That would be stupid.

As I was looking around I swear that I saw a flicker of a person. The person was beside Kakashi and they looked very familiar. Yes, it was only a flicker, but I caught a glimpse of dark purple hair and pale magenta eyes. Those features would be impossible for me to forget. They belonged to Hantā-sensei...

It was impossible, since she was dead. Though, why was she there. Again, it was only a flicker, but it still had me confused. I shook my head to clear it and hoped it was my imagination. Though, who was I kidding? It was sign that I was finally losing my mind. I'll have worry about it later though. I have some living Leaf ninjas to take care of right now.

"Formation B!" Exclaimed the guy with the head plate. They must have been saying stuff that I wasn't listening to, but "Formation B" was all I needed to know that they were going to attack.

"Looks like they're getting serious," giggled Kiki. Tobi giggled along with her and I made some hand signals behind my back. It's two against eight, so I think we might need a bit of help. Even if the help goes screaming once hit.

"I better get fired up too then," said Tobi as he then started to stretch. I shook my head at Tobi's silliness. As Tobi was doing that, Naruto started to get a bit angry which was always good for a fight. Though, I wanted to know exactly what their plan was, so I took a little trip into Kakashi's mind. I could have gone into head plate's mind, but Kakashi practically has a 'come on in' sign stapled to his head.

It didn't take me long to figure out their plan. It was rather simple actually and could easily be dealt with now that Tobi has me as back up. I would have said Kiki as well, but I thought it would be best if she went home. I don't need her getting in the way.

"Kiki, I want you to go home," I told the small bat. I could tell she was about to protest but I sent her a look telling her to do as she's told. She listened after that and disappeared in a small puff of smoke, but not before waving goodbye.

Anyway, the Leaf's plan was to distract Tobi and I, and then three of them would surround us. While that was happening the others would go forward. Though, I don't think they're going to make it that far.

Just then, Sakura, or I like to call her Pinky, took Naruto's arm and swung him into the air. At that moment, while Tobi was distracted with the flying Naruto, I switched out with a Sound Clone I made not too long ago. That way I can cut off the others and once the ones dealing Tobi hit "me", they'll be deaf for a few seconds.

I didn't bother telling Tobi my plan, as I'm sure he'll catch on once he sees it not really me beside him. I do feel a bit bad that he might be deafen in the process as well, but it'll ware off.

"Where do you think you're going?" I rhetorically asked once I got in front of the ninjas trying to escape. Luckily for me, Kakashi was in the front.

We had a small stare down before a high-pitched scream was heard from where Tobi was. That didn't take to long then, did it?

Kakashi glanced behind him and then back to me. Tobi just then popped up beside me and I mentally groaned. I was sort of hoping he'd be out cold for a bit.

"Nice trick Lark-san! That clone can sure scream loud!" Yelled Tobi. I cringed a bit at the volume of his voice. He must have lost his hearing for a bit if he can't tell that he's screaming.

"Split up and force your way through their defenses!" Kakashi ordered his team. All the Leaf ninjas took off except for Kakashi.

"Tobi. You take care of the others. I got him," I told the orange masked man. Tobi went off in a small panic, but didn't protest. Once he was gone and was doing who knows what justu, Kakashi and I continued our stare down. That was until I cut the silence.

"Aren't you going to kill me? Or do you actually want to lose your ninja title that you've worked so hard for?" I questioned Kakashi. It didn't seem like he was going to respond at first. Though, his response wasn't the one I wanted.

"I'll take care of you later," said Kakashi and then he jumped away. I stood there staring blankly at the spot where Kakashi just was. That was not how I pictured that to go. I was thinking more across the lines of a fight. Maybe even him going all lovey dovey, but not just taking off. Now I was even more pissed off than before.

"Damn it Kakashi!" I cursed as I stomped my foot. I was hoping for this to go quickly so I would be able to get away and pass out, when Itachi died, away from others. Now times a ticking and I might actually pass out in front of the Leaf. It wouldn't be the first time, but still…

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it!<strong>

**Please let me know what you thought about it :)**


	35. Chapter 34

**OH MY GOD! I finally updated! :D**

**Sorry for the wait... I'd like to reward you with a very well written chapter, but I'm not too happy with this one... It was the only thing I could think of though T.T**

**Hope you like it anyway :)**

* * *

><p>I was a bit taken a back that Kakashi decided to "deal with me later". The reason is most likely nothing to do with the fact that we have a weird past or about me personally. Though, my ego still took a bit of a hit. Don't really know why, but my ego is very sensitive in some situations, so that was probably the reason.<p>

However, I was a bit excited because I can just mentally harm everyone now. I had been thinking of leaving the rest of the Leaf alone since they weren't much importance at the moment. Well, the jinchūriki is, but I'll leave him for Pain…

Anyway, I went to where the actual fight was and surprised to see that actual fighting was happening. Leaf weren't doing so well… I was somewhat shocked that Tobi was putting up a good fight, or at least standing his ground. I always took Tobi as just some kid who got lucky and was able to join the Akatsuki. Though, joining the Akatsuki isn't really lucky I'd say…

"Lark-san! Look! I don't have a scratch on me!" Cheered Tobi. I couldn't help but smile a bit. The kid honestly was doing very well.

"Good job Tobi! Now just keep dodging and you'll be fine," I supported Tobi. He response the masked Akatsuki member tilted his head slightly,

"Dodging? Shouldn't we fight? I want to show them whose boss!" Questioned Tobi.

"There's no real need to fight. It'd be too easy and it'll be boring," I stated. Tobi nodded as if he understood, but I really don't think he did. Oh well, I highly doubt he'd start throwing punches anyway.

"What are you saying about being too easy and boring?! We'd have you spinning in circles and afraid that you won't make it back to your little hideout!" Exclaimed dog boy. I stared down at the boy and placed my hand on my hip.

"You can defiantly tell you're an Inuzuka. You're bark is a lot louder then you're bite," I teased. Both dog boy and the dog growled at me, and I of course smirked.

"It looks like you made them mad Lark-san," murmured Tobi. I looked towards Tobi and laughed slightly.

"Well then… It's going to get interesting real fast if they all have this short of a temper," I joked. That remarked earned me a bark followed by another growl from the giant dog down below.

"Everyone into Formation-" Started head plate guy, but I stopped him.

"Before you guys start throwing yourselves at us, I have a few things to say. And if you cut me off I'll act like the drama queen you all think I am," I cut off. Everyone just stared at me and waited for me to continue. It was kind of funny that they were actually listening to me.

"I would just like to tell Kakashi some things that really should be said private, but he rather be out here with you. So here we go!" I began. I could already hear Kakashi's nervous thoughts and he had a right to be nervous.

"For one Kakashi, I was actually planning on leaving your team alone if you had stayed to fight me. However, you thought it'd be best to help them against Tobi. Not a very smart move considering you just kind of let me go. Sort of like you did when I left the Leaf the second time," I pointed out. Not much of a reaction, but a few glances. Kakashi was actually standing tall and looking hard at me. Must be that ninja training that teaches to show no emotion.

"Never mind that. Though, we may have to come back to that since you have orders to kill me, but whatever. What I really want to talk about, or give you actually, is my mother's engagement ring." I said that as I pulled the piece of jewelry off my ring finger.

"I was planning on flaunting it around and show your team that we're to wed. Unfortunately, I'm giving it back. I just don't want to be tied down to you Kakashi. I can honestly say I hate you," I finished and threw the ring at Kakashi. He caught it and it seemed like he could care less as he pocketed it, but his thoughts voiced their opinion. Turns out Kakashi was a bit heart broken. Though, it wasn't that bad. I mean it's not like he actually proposed like a normal man would. Actually… Did he really propose? Or did Mika, Jiro and I read to far into it? Oh well!

"What's she talking about Kakashi-sensei?" Asked Pinky. I smirked stayed on my face as I waited for Kakashi's response. Though, his response wasn't one I was expecting…

"She's just spitting out lies. Hoping to get all our minds onto a different topic. She's crazy and will say anything to throw us off," replied Kakashi. That's when my smirk fell.

He actually denied it. Like full out said that I was lying and I was crazy! Of course he was correct about the crazy part… And I did lie a lot in life, but not now! Guess he's a lot better at keeping his cool than I thought. Darn…

"Tell them what you want Kakashi, but we know it's true." I stated, the smirk back on my face. With no response other than growling and Tobi's giggles, I clapped my hands together.

"How 'bout we start to fight, since you all know I will _lie_ if we continue conversation," I suggested. That earned a louder giggle from Tobi and louder growls from not only the Leaf dogs, but also Naruto.

"You'll regret ever suggesting that," said Naruto as everyone on his team got in a ready position. I rolled my eyes and looked over to Tobi.

"What do you think Tobi? Think we can take them?" I asked my current partner.

"Nothing can stand up against Lark-san and Tobi!" Exclaimed the masked ninja. I turned back to the Leaf and shrugged with a smirk on my lips.

"You heard the kid. No one stands a chance," I taunted. That caused another growl and just before anyone could move to throw the first hit, a cold, sharp object was pressed against my jugular.

"Then why was I able to sneak up on you so easily?" Asked Kakashi, rhetorically I hope because I didn't know the answer. Looking down at where Kakashi was supposed to be, I saw Kakashi disappear with smoke. That made me smirk a little, but not out of my own pleasure. I was amused that Kakashi was able to get me with such a simple trick. However, I was ashamed of myself, as I couldn't figure out that it was a Shadow Clone. Kakashi's thought patterns should have been different for the clone, but he did something to screw me up…

I was silent, but Tobi decided to go into panic mode at my unfortunate situation…

"Oh no! Lark-san what do we do?!" Cried Tobi as he waved his arms frantically.

"You keep the rest of the Leaf busy while I deal with Silver here," I said without turning my head to look directly at Tobi, in slight fear the kunai would cut me. I assumed the masked Akatsuki member nodded as there was no response, but he had started talking to the other opposing ninjas.

"So, is this the "later" you were referring to?" I asked Kakashi when it was certain that the others weren't focused on us.

"I was actually thinking a bit later than this, but it works," replied Kakashi as he pressed the kunai harder against my neck. I could try to get away, but I sort of valued my neck and didn't want blood pouring out of it.

Glancing over to the others, I realized we were awfully close to their fight.

"Unless we want to get hit by a dog, fox or moving tree, I say we move to a different branch," I suggested. I'm guessing that Kakashi also looked over to the others and noticed the same thing I did, since he grabbed my waist and moved us to another tree.

Once we were securely on the new branch I let out a laugh when Kakashi slowing unwrapped his arm from my waist.

"I wouldn't be laughing when I have a kunai to my throat," mentioned Kakashi.

"Yes, but you're not the one with the kunai to your throat," I replied.

"Why are you laughing? I understand that your crazy, but I don't see anything amusing at the moment," said Kakashi. I just laughed again. It's understandable that he couldn't see what was so amusing. Though, he was starting to act kind of like he did when we were younger. Not understanding my ways was one of his few features.

"Oh Kakashi… If only the Sharingan could copy the Kokoro no Ressun, then you'd understand me better," I giggled

"I wouldn't want to know what's going on in your messed up head," replied Kakashi. At that, Kakashi held the kunai closer to my throat. I could actually feel the cold blade on my flesh.

"If you're going to kill me can you get it over with? I don't have long before I have to leave," I sighed. I was referring to when Itachi dies, since I didn't want to collapse in the Copy ninja's arms… That sounded like something Mika would say… Oh no she's rubbing off on me and we haven't even seen each for weeks!

"Who said I was going to kill you?" Questioned Kakashi.

"Your boss. I heard the whole conversation you had with her after my escape," I answered. I didn't really know what Kakashi's reaction was since my back was to him, but my guess would've been shocked. However, I must have guessed wrong because he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked, slightly confused. I thought I was the crazy one?

"Nothing really. I'm more laughing at myself for not thinking you'd be checking in on me," chuckled Kakashi. I rolled my eyes at 'checking in'. He made it sound that I actually cared.

Before I could respond to Kakashi's weird sense of humour, I felt I slight pain in my head. Which wasn't uncommon as I was no stranger to headaches, but it didn't feel like it was a normal headache. It felt like someone was pulling at something in my head… Oh no…

I needed to check on Itachi, but when I tried to get through… I was blocked. I tried to get through a few times, however, I had no luck. That rotten bastard locked me out! It should be impossible for him to do that, but this was Itachi we were talking about. Sometimes I think he knows more about my jutsu than I do.

"Ark… Lark… Hey lark are you still there?" Kakashi asked as I tuned back into our conversation. Forgot he was there for a second.

"Of course I'm still here. You haven't killed me yet," I sassed. I wished he'd just get on with it. Waiting to be killed is kind of boring… What am I thinking?! I could just get out of this situation myself.

"If you're not going to kill me, can you let me go? I have other business to attend to," I told the Copy Ninja. He didn't seem to very happy with that as I felt the kunai dig deeper. I could feel blood running down my neck and silently wished he'd just slit it. I love games, but I'm tired of this one.

"You're not going anywhere," stated Kakashi. I sighed as I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Then do something. Either kill me or knock me out. Don't just stand there and rub up against me!" I spat. This was getting really tiresome, and even more annoying when Kakashi didn't make any moves after I spoke.

"Don't make me sing," I threatened. I could tell, without even looking into his head, that he was greatly considering killing at that moment. Kakashi should know better than anyone that it means trouble when song starts coming from my mouth.

Sadly for Kakashi, and his team, he waited to long.

First I started by pinpointing whom I wanted to screw with, as I needed Tobi to remain mobile. Let's hope my focusing skills have improved or Tobi will not have a good time…

Anyway, the song that I begun to sing was a soft and simple. There were no actual lyrics, just notes.

You could tell it was working, as Kakashi's kunai instantly dropped from his hands and his gripped disappeared.

Without any hesitation, I jumped away from the jounin, while keeping up with the song. I smirked as I watched the other Leaf ninjas squirm in pain. Though, they weren't in as much pain as Kakashi, since I was closer to the Copy ninja.

Looking over at Tobi, I could see that he wasn't being affected. I waved when I saw him look over at me. He waved back, not seeming too concerned as to what happened, not that it was hard t figure out.

I had stopped singing at that point, but everyone one was still suffering. You see, I had put a gen-jutsu on them that makes them believe that they are in immense pain. Lucky, it continues after I stop singing, which gives me time to hit the road.

After a quick talk with Tobi, to tell him to stay and watch the Leaf ninjas, I left to see how long Itachi had left…

* * *

><p><strong>Please let me know what you thought :)<strong>

**A/N: I'm really considering scrapping this story all together or scrapping it and starting anew, but differently. I'm not feeling the story anymore or the characters... I believe I can make them better, but again, it will be different from what you've been reading. I'm sorry, but I'm very grateful for all of you who have stuck with the story :)**


End file.
